Revelations
by anotherredhead
Summary: Sixteen years after leaving Dodge, Kitty returns to ask Matt for a favor. A rewrite of "Return to Dodge."
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** The great Paul Savage is said to have written a script for _Return to Dodge _which was ultimately rejected in favor of the one that was filmed. Though the whereabouts of this script are unknown, descriptions of its plot have circulated among Gunsmoke fans and many feel it would have made a tremendously more satisfying movie. Inspired by the rumors of Mr. Savage's script, I decided to rewrite _Return to Dodge_ using a similar plot line and create the reunion I would like to have seen. Inconsistencies in canon or other historical facts may occur for the sake of the story, so read at your own risk.

There appeared to be a problem posting this the first time, so I deleted and am reposting if anyone gets multiple notices.

Revelations

Chapter 1

The steady rain had slowed to a soft sprinkle by the time the stage pulled onto Front Street. It was almost dusk, but there was still enough light to read signs on the buildings that were crawling past the small window. She had left on a train the previous day and planned on arriving that way, but a track outage some thirty miles back had forced the passengers to either wait for repair or seek alternative transportation. She couldn't chance missing the most important appointment of her life, and it was sheer luck that a stage was available within close proximity. The extra three hours of travel was most unwelcome, but she had made it with a little time to spare. The driver tugged on the reins, and his lone passenger braced herself at the hard stop.

Kitty Russell took a cleansing breath before helping herself off the stage, stepping into a shallow puddle before realizing it was there. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered stepping into a similar puddle in that exact same spot a lifetime ago. That puddle had added to a dismal first impression of Dodge City, so much that the young newcomer had almost stepped right back on the stage and told the driver the take her to Anywhere Else, USA. Almost. But fate intervened and this ended up being home for nearly twenty years. She stepped out of the puddle this time without a second thought.

It looked remarkably similar to the town she had left, only some of the signs were different. The Lady Gay was now The Blue Peacock, the undertaker was apparently someone named Marcus Wilder, and Newly's gunsmith shop looked to be some kind of leather store. The cosmetics might be different, but it still felt like Front Street.

Reluctantly, Kitty turned toward the wooden staircase that she had climbed a thousand times in the prime of her life. The sign out front now read, "Robert Caldemeyer, Family Medicine." She had heard good things about Dr. Caldemeyer from the friends who still wrote to her from Dodge. The town was lucky to have him, she was told. Still, he wasn't Doc. Nobody was, or ever would be again. She would never forget the day the wire came from Festus telling her that Doc had died peacefully in his sleep. It shouldn't have been a shock, he was an older man with health problems even when she lived here. Still, one is never truly prepared for such news. He had written to her faithfully every month for the six years since she had moved, always full of interesting news and never complaining. He had kept her updated on everyone she knew in Dodge—at least everyone she wanted to hear about. When he missed that last month she knew in her heart that something was wrong. He was too ill to do anything those last few weeks and died with his closest friends by his side. It was a devastating loss, and she would have made the trip to his funeral had she been able. But circumstances in her life at the time were such that she had no choice but to stay home and grieve alone. Those emotions came flooding back at the sight of his office.

The stage driver dragged her large suitcase from the luggage rack and set it down next to her. "Where are you headed, Ma'am?" he asked helpfully. "Can I carry this somewhere for you?"

Kitty collected herself and glanced toward the city's best hotel. It was still in the same place with the same sign, a bit weathered but in good condition. "I'm staying at The Dodge House," she replied. "And thank you, some help would be appreciated." She had never been one who wanted any help, but age had a way of making sure you needed it.

The eager young man struggled slightly with Kitty's generous sized bag, trying to pretend it wasn't all that heavy and thankful that they didn't have far to go. It was Monday, and the after work saloon patrons were just beginning to assemble at the local establishments. Kitty purposely avoided looking at one establishment in particular as they worked their way around the pedestrians on the street and sidewalk, deciding that she needed a bit more time to prepare herself for that emotional ride. She focused her eyes straight ahead, hoping to make it to The Dodge House without any detours. She was within feet of the entrance, her driver-turned-porter close behind, when she heard her name in a familiar voice so loud that it startled her.

"Miss Kitty!" she heard again, coming from the front porch of the small café next door. His hair was totally gray and he had a slight paunch, but there was no mistaking the twang of Festus Haggen. "Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!" he exclaimed, slapping his knee with his hand in excitement as he hurried toward her. "I heard you was comin' to Dodge, but I told Newly here that until I seen you my own self I didn't reckon I'd believe it."

The gentleman standing next to him after a brisk walk to catch up tipped his Stetson and smiled. "It sure is good to see you again, Ma'am," he said politely. Kitty's mouth flew open in surprise. She would not have recognized Newly O'Brien if she had run him over, but she certainly recognized that sweet, gentle voice. He had grown a thick beard and moustache, salt and pepper in color, and looked nothing like the baby-faced friend she was so fond of her last few years in Dodge. Peeking out from his brown vest she could see something else that had changed about Newly O'Brien since she had seen him sixteen years ago—a badge that said "U.S. Marshal." She knew he was the marshal of Dodge now, but actually seeing that all-too-familiar piece of tin decorating a different chest hit her like a hard slap in the face. For nineteen years she had hoped, dreamed, _begged_ for someone else to wear that badge and bear the burden it represented, to no avail.

What had finally convinced him to give it up? She wasn't sure she even wanted to know. It hadn't been her, so it didn't much matter.

Kitty put an arm around each of her old friends and drew them into her. She had wanted to freshen up before she saw anyone, but this felt good. The threesome stayed locked in a warm embrace for several seconds, and when Kitty finally let go she couldn't control the flow of happy tears. She had always missed them, but she didn't realize just how much until that moment.

Her helper stood patiently next to the large suitcase, trying not to intrude on a clearly intimate reunion. Kitty caught him out of the corner of her eye and suddenly remembered her manners. "I'm terribly sorry," she said, wiping her face. "This gentleman was kind enough to help me with my suitcase, and I shouldn't keep him any longer. Can we meet again later and catch up?"

"Well, 'course we can," proclaimed Festus. "How's about we all go over to The Long Branch tonight and have us a big ol' gittin' back together party? I'd be honored to buy you the first beer, Miss Kitty."

"I'd like that very much, Festus," she responded sincerely. "So I'll see you both there later, say around nine o'clock?"

Newly nodded. "I should be done with early rounds by then. I'm looking forward to it."

Kitty quickly kissed each man on the cheek, still almost in disbelief that they were standing right in front of her. "So am I."

She motioned toward the door, and the man lugged her suitcase to the front desk. "He'll carry it upstairs for me," she informed him, pointing to the hotel worker who got paid for such tasks. She got no argument, and the young man wished her a nice stay in town before starting back to his stage. "Hold on," she called out, digging into her purse. She pressed a large coin into his hand which made him very happy. "I've been pretty nervous about this trip, and your kindness has meant a lot. Thank you." He nodded and smiled as he left The Dodge House.

Kitty found her room to be adequately clean and comfortable. It wasn't quite the luxury that some of the hotels in New Orleans boasted, but it didn't need to be. She wasn't here on vacation, this was a trip of necessity. Just thinking about why she was here made her stomach hurt, so she tried not to. For now she would concentrate on changing her dress and fixing her face paint and hair, which looked a fright after being bounced around in a stage for several hours.

She carefully lifted a neatly folded cobalt blue dress from her suitcase and began smoothing out the wrinkles. She had spent hours at home trying on different dresses before she left, trying to decide which one was most appropriate for this particular evening. She owned dresses that were sensible and professional, sexy and flirtatious, conservative and matronly. What image did she want to project? On the surface, she tried to tell herself it didn't matter. This wasn't a beauty contest after all, it was serious business. The important thing was to get what she came for, and that had nothing to do with her appearance. But deep down, regardless of how shallow and ridiculous it sounded even in her own head, Kitty had but one first impression that she wanted to present after all this time—the one that got away. So she had settled on the blue dress, very flattering to her still desirable figure while also tasteful and elegant. Blue was always his favorite color on her.

Kitty slipped on the dress and easily pushed all the buttons through their loops. She had lost a bit of weight recently, no doubt from lack of appetite. Some women were stress eaters, Kitty was a stress dieter. She could barely eat when she was upset, and that had been most of the time lately. Standing in front of the dresser mirror, she clipped on a pair of sapphire earrings and twirled around for a once over. This dress looked good on her, if she did say so herself. That hair was going to be more of a challenge, though. She pulled out every pin and comb and let each lock fall past her shoulders. There was a time when those locks were as red as hot coals, but not anymore. She had started to gray in her mid-40's, but luckily gray didn't show on redheads the way it did on some others. Kitty was grateful that the gray just diluted out the color, giving her the overall appearance of a dark strawberry blonde instead of the deep red. That was fine with her—better than looking like Martha Washington.

She brushed through some tangles and began the meticulous reassembly of her bun. She had done it countless times and had it down to an art, but it took her longer than usual for some reason. Maybe it was nerves. She finished by creating her trademark curls, one on each side of her face. Her hair was thick and wavy, and she could create the effect by simply wrapping a small piece around her finger for a few seconds. Sufficiently satisfied with the result, she glanced at the clock and saw that she had exactly ten minutes to get to her…what should she call it? Not a date. No, _definitely_ not a date. It was a meeting, one with incredibly high stakes.

She moved in close to the mirror to check her face. There wasn't time for a redo, she would have to settle for a fast powder job and a little lipstick. She backed up by a half a foot, having forgotten that she didn't have her glasses on and couldn't see that close up anymore. When her face came back into focus, she gently ran a finger under each eye. Would he notice those lines? They hadn't been there when she left. She almost laughed at the triviality of the thought, possibly the most minor of all that had changed since she last saw him.

Kitty steadied her nerves and quickly finished her touch ups. She had done everything she could—it was time to go.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Revelations

Chapter 2

Delmonico's had been the site of Kitty Russell's most life-altering event. Had she not been so hungry the morning she first stepped off the stage in an unfamiliar Kansas cow town called Dodge City —a place with seedy men and dirty rain puddles—she very likely would have been on her way out of town the second that stage pulled out again. After deciding that the short layover might be somewhat salvaged by a decent breakfast, she saw something—someone—in that little restaurant which forever changed her. Now here she was again, so many years later, having come full circle for another equally important encounter.

The outside was mostly the same, but the inside of Delmonico's looked very different than she remembered. It had been remodeled, modernized, with a fancy cash register and fold out menus written in script instead of chalk offerings on a blackboard. The checkered tablecloths, reminiscent of a picnic blanket, had been replaced with white linen, and candles decorated every table. She didn't recognize a single person there, employee or customer. Hopefully the classy improvements in ambiance had carried over to the food. Oh, how Doc used to complain about this place. They all did at times, but Doc in particular. Of course it couldn't have been _that_ bad or he wouldn't have eaten there practically every day, but she did remember the vile catfish stew. Such fond memories had been made sitting at those tables. She could almost see Chester's ear to ear smile, hear Festus and Doc bickering over whether a mule can see in color, smell the aroma of good wine over a romantic dinner for two. An approaching host broke the spell.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?"

"Yes," she replied, "I am supposed to meet someone here at seven, but I don't see him yet. Might I get a table until he gets here?" _He is coming, isn't he?_

"Do you have a reservation?"

Kitty frowned. "Oh… I'm not sure, I wasn't aware that was necessary." You needed a reservation at Delmonico's now? Yes, some things had certainly changed.

"Yes Ma'am, it's definitely a good idea this time of night, unless you want to eat very late. Might your date have made the reservation? Let me check the book."

"Oh, it's not a date," she felt an inexplicable need to inform him. "It's…oh, never mind." How silly of her. This stranger couldn't possibly care about her personal life, and it wasn't his business anyway.

The man flipped open a thin ledger and began running his finger down a column of names and numbers. "Let's see, dinner for two at seven o'clock. I have Osborne, Dillon, Colson…"

"Dillon," she interrupted, in a shrill voice she hardly recognized. "I'm sorry," she continued softly in her own voice. "The reservation would be under Dillon."

"Very well," he smiled graciously, "I will go ahead and seat you." He led her to a small table in the corner, next to a young couple who were about half finished with their meal. It looked good—maybe she would actually be able to eat something. She took the seat facing the door and searched until she found a clock on the wall. It was 7:03—no need to panic just yet. He had always been fashionably late.

Kitty's eyes went directly from the clock to the front entrance, and despite the unexpected attire she knew him instantly. He ducked slightly as he walked through the door and began scanning the room. He, too, had dressed up for the occasion, and in a most unexpected way. The light gray jacket and bolo tie, his only formal outfit for the entire time they were together, had been replaced with a dark gray overcoat and matching vest with trousers. Somehow this cowboy had discovered the latest fashion trend sported by men in the big city. She hesitantly held her hand up to flag his attention. Perhaps he would need a little more help in recognizing her than she did him.

He saw her gesture and flashed a big, familiar smile. The room was quite crowded but he would have had no trouble finding her, even without the hand wave. There was only one Kitty Russell, and as he had told a man many years before, he knew all about that woman.

Kitty stood as he made his way to her table, almost knocking down a poor waiter in the process. Her heart started pounding as they came face to face, and she searched her mind for an appropriate reaction. Shake hands? Kiss on the cheek? Awkward hug leaving space between you while leaning in to give a pat on the back? She didn't have to think for long, as the decision was made for her. Former Marshal Matt Dillon put two incredibly strong arms around her and pulled her in for a bear hug.

Kitty closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. It fit there as perfectly as ever, like a hand in a glove. She had played this moment in her head more times than she cared to admit. It would be so much easier if it didn't still feel this good.

They both drew apart at the same instant, still reveling in this unlikely event. "Kitty Russell," Matt said as if he couldn't get over her presence. "My God, you look beautiful." It was spoken with sincerity, not the typical "You haven't changed a bit" line that everyone knew was a lie, but an acknowledgment that time had carried her well-known beauty of years past into its present, more mature form.

"Thank you, Matt," she offered. "You look wonderful too." She looked into his eyes, blue as ever, and studied his face. There were definitely more lines, quite a few in fact, no doubt from years of riding for days on end with the sun beating down on exposed skin. His wavy hair was still thick but totally gray, and he was clean shaven. It wasn't fair, she thought—wrinkles and gray hair indicated a woman well past her prime, but on a man it was considered rugged and distinguished. She couldn't argue with conventional wisdom at the moment, though. Standing straight and tall in his tailored suit, Matt Dillon looked…well, rugged and distinguished. And handsome—very handsome.

He pulled out her chair and then seated himself. Before they could speak a word to each other, an attentive waiter appeared. "Will you be having wine with dinner?" he inquired, holding a wine list in case it was needed. Matt looked at Kitty and she nodded. "We'd like a bottle of your best Merlot," he replied, temporarily forgetting that there was not a "we" anymore. Old habits were hard to break. "I'm sorry Kitty, I shouldn't have automatically ordered for you. Would you like something else?"

"No, that's perfect," she assured him. It was actually comforting to see how easily he had slipped back into that role. She needed this to go well, and so far it was.

The waiter left and there was a moment of silence, each waiting for the other to start the conversation. Uncharacteristically, Matt finally broke the ice. "How are you, Kitty? What have you been up to all these years?" He knew some things about her life after him, but not many. Her letter had been painfully clear, and as hard as it had been to respect her wishes, he had not contacted her. Doc had let him know that she was safe and well, as much as he could share without breaking confidences. Matt wasn't inclined to ask anyway, it was too personal to discuss even with his best friend. His life the past sixteen years had been served with generous portions of question marks and regrets, while stoically playing the hand he was dealt and moving forward the best he could.

Kitty wasn't about to launch into any long-winded explanations. It was too overwhelming for a first visit, and she had more important topics she needed to discuss. "I'm doing well, Matt," she slightly exaggerated. "I guess you know I've been living in New Orleans since I left here. I still had a couple of relatives there, and a few friends who helped me get on my feet. I invested the money from The Long Branch into a riverboat with a partner. It's done pretty well, Isaac knows a lot about the riverboat business. We're not rich, but we're comfortable."

"Isaac?" he asked curiously. "Is that your partner?"

"Yes," she replied.

"_Business_ partner?" he returned.

Kitty chuckled. "If you're asking whether Isaac and I are a couple, the answer is no. He's actually the husband of one of my closest friends. It's purely platonic."

"Well, you said 'we' were comfortable and I just wondered…"

Isaac wasn't the "we" she was referring to, but she couldn't tell him that yet. She had to ease into that topic—it was, after all, the reason she was here.

"What about you, Matt? How have you been?" She had wondered the answer to that every day since she had left, but making a clean break meant not asking.

Matt thought for a few seconds before he spoke. "I suppose I'm fine too," he said truthfully. "But I'm not ashamed to tell you, it took a long time to get there. It wasn't easy."

"I know," she acknowledged, almost inaudibly. "It wasn't easy for me either. Matt, I never wanted…I mean, I wasn't trying to—"

The waiter interrupted with a wine bottle and two glasses. He uncorked the bottle and poured a small amount in each glass, allowing the customers to evaluate the aroma. They nodded their approval and he filled the glasses. "Are you ready to order?" he asked them.

They had not even looked at the menus sitting on the table. "Please give us a few minutes," Matt instructed politely. The waiter complied, and they were alone again.

"You don't owe me any explanations, Kitty," he continued the conversation. "I understand why you left, I read your letter. At least a hundred times, to be honest. I wasn't hinting for an apology. I just wanted you to know that what we had was real. I have always wondered if you truly knew how important you were to me. I didn't let go of us willingly."

Kitty struggled to maintain her composure. "Neither did I," she echoed, tempted to say more but deciding that she couldn't. This was getting more complicated than she could handle right now, and she had to change the subject. "Well I can see one thing that has changed for the better since I was around. What's with the fancy duds? Is someone else dressing you these days, or did you finally develop a fashion sense?"

Matt laughed. "Neither. Well, maybe the second one, a little. I actually just bought this. I only had one old suit and a men's clothing shop recently opened up next to the bank, so I thought—well, a man can always use a new suit, can't he?"

Kitty's eyes danced as she did her best southern belle impression. "Why Marshal Dillon, did you dress up for little ole me?"

Matt looked embarrassed and suddenly wished he had made up a less obvious story about the suit. Sensing his discomfort, Kitty pointed out the shiny sequins on the front of her dress. "Well then, I suppose that makes two of us." They both laughed, and it instantly put him at ease.

"Of course you do know it's not 'Marshal' Dillon anymore," he ventured, hoping it would come across as a casual piece of conversation and not a way of picking at a very old scab.

"Yes, I heard that some time ago," she confirmed without emotion. She had allowed herself to ask a few questions of her friends along the way and knew that he had retired to a small farm just outside of town. And as far as she knew, he had retained his title of most eligible bachelor in Kansas. "I saw Newly on my way to The Dodge House. How is he handling everything?"

Matt could tell she only wanted surface details on the matter. "He's doing a fine job. I'm very proud of him."

"You should be, he learned everything he knows from you," she said in a way that sounded like the compliment it was, yet didn't encourage further discussion.

Matt took a drink of his wine and Kitty did the same. He picked up the two menus and handed one to her. "I suppose we should take a look at this before that waiter comes back. Delmonico's has changed a bit since you were last here—you actually look forward to getting your meal now." Kitty smiled, grateful for the change of subject. Maybe now she could work up the nerve to tell him why she was here.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Revelations

Chapter 3

Dinner was filled with good food, better wine, and interesting conversation. Matt told Kitty stories about many of the people she had known in Dodge, some funny and some sad, while she regaled him with tales of the big city. They were surprisingly relaxed, though the wine might have had something to do with it. In the back of her mind Kitty knew she had to build up the nerve to tell him why she was here, and as the meal ended she realized she was running out of time.

"Matt, this has been wonderful," she began. "I told you in my message that I had a serious reason for coming here and asking you to meet with me. You haven't asked me what that is, so I guess I'll just say it."

"I figured you'd get around to telling me when you were ready," he reasoned. Typical, patient Matt.

"I need help finding a girl who is missing. She's 15-years-old and she's my…my niece. I have some ideas about where she might be, but I don't think I can do this alone."

Matt looked confused. "Your niece? Kitty, how could you have a niece?" Unless she had a long lost sibling he didn't know about, that was impossible.

"Well she's not a blood niece," she clarified, sounding rather uptight. "She's actually the daughter of a good friend of mine. I guess I think of her as a niece. Matt, she is very, _very_ important to me and I've got to find her."

"What about her parents?" he wondered. "Why aren't they the ones looking for her?"

Kitty became visibly flustered. "They're not—I mean, of course they're looking for her too. But I told them I would do whatever I can." She started fanning herself as if it had suddenly gotten hot.

Matt had an uneasy feeling. Kitty Russell was a straight shooter and he could tell when something was off. She was also an excellent poker player and generally did a better job of hiding her emotions. There was more to this story than she was telling him, and it was very personal.

"What is the girl's name?" he asked suspiciously.

"Laura Ru—um, her name is Laura."

Kitty was nervously playing with an empty fork, tapping it over and over on the table. Matt stilled the fork with one hand and put the other gently over hers. "Kitty, I want to help you. I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you find this girl, but you have to tell me the truth. What is going on? Who is she really?"

Tears immediately pooled in her eyes, and she knew she couldn't keep up the charade. "She's my daughter, Matt. I have a teen-aged daughter named Laura, and she has run away from home. I have to find her."

Matt had to silently process this information before he could speak again. "Kitty, when did this happen? I mean, who is the—"

"I adopted her a few months after I moved to New Orleans," she cut him off. "I wanted a child, I had wanted one for a long time. I needed something—someone—to help me move on with my life after you. So I finally got my baby."

Matt subtly nodded in understanding. He had always known that she wanted to be a wife and mother someday. He couldn't—or wouldn't—make her either of those things, so she had done what she could on her own. She was good with children, especially babies. He would never forget how heartbroken she was when she gave up little Mary, or the look in her eyes every time she held one of those triplets that Doc had delivered. She absolutely glowed whenever she had a baby in her arms. As painful as it had been losing her, he was happy to learn that she had fulfilled that dream. It eased the guilt, just a little. And now maybe he was in a position to help her.

"Kitty, why didn't you tell me the truth to begin with? God knows we had our problems, but we have always been honest with each other." He sounded genuinely hurt.

Kitty sighed. "I'm sorry Matt. This is a lot to ask, and considering our history—well, I guess I thought it would less upsetting for both of us if I didn't have to explain my having a child. But that wasn't fair to you, and I apologize."

Matt could never stand to see Kitty upset, and he didn't want to contribute to her anguish by pushing the issue. "You said you had some ideas about where she is," he proceeded, letting her know that her explanation was sufficient. "Tell me what happened so I'll know where to start."

Kitty gave him an appreciative smile. He had always been so good to her, giving her everything she needed from him except for one. She hadn't travelled this far on just the hope that he would help her. She knew in her heart that Matt Dillon would move heaven and earth to find her daughter.

She rubbed her temples and began her story. "A couple of months ago, I had a splitting headache and came home from work much earlier than usual. I walked in and found Laura and this young man kissing on the couch. I demanded to know who he was and how long this had been going on—Laura knows she's not allowed to have company when I'm not home without my permission. He introduced himself as Gil Cloyd, said he had moved here a couple of weeks ago, and that when he first laid eyes on Laura it was love at first sight."

Matt could tell from her tone that Kitty was not convinced, and of course she was right to be skeptical. Still, he knew that love at first sight was indeed possible. He had experienced it once.

"You should have heard him," she went on. "He was a smooth talker, cool as a cucumber. I'd never laid eyes on him, but I've been meeting him my whole life. Everything was 'Ma'am' this and 'Miss Russell' that and 'I would never disrespect you or Laura.'" He knew how to sell it alright, but I wasn't buying. I asked him how old he was, and he said twenty-one. She's still a child, Matt, even though she looks like a woman. She developed early and people always think she's older, but she's fifteen. She's been to a few cotillions, but she has no experience and no business with a boy that age. I told him that I had a few decades of living on him, and I knew bad news when I saw it. I don't know how I knew it that quickly, but I did."

Matt didn't doubt that one bit. She had always been the best judge of character he had ever known, himself included. She was the first person he would go to for advice on a case, and her instincts were usually correct. He could already picture the lopsided battle of words between young Gil Cloyd and the formidable Kitty Russell, and he could almost feel sorry for the guy under different circumstances.

"I told him that in case she had lied about it Laura was only fifteen, and she may be naïve enough to fall for his kind of sweet talk but I wasn't," she continued. "That nobody who respects me would talk my daughter into breaking her mother's rules behind her back. I ordered him out of my house and said if I ever caught him here again I would file charges for trespassing. He left, and Laura threw a fit. She was crying and screaming that she hated me and I had ruined everything. She said she was old enough to decide who she wanted to be with and was tired of me controlling her life."

Kitty had to stop for a moment, the sharpness of those words still leaving fresh cuts on her soul. She had been on her own since she was Laura's age, no mother or father to set rules and protect her from the foolishness of youth. From the first time she had held that tiny baby girl in her arms, she had vowed that her life would be different. She would be guided and nurtured, given every opportunity Kitty could afford, educated in a university instead of the school of hard knocks. She would be able to choose a career out of love, not survival. Raising a child alone was a daunting task that required commitment and sacrifice, and Kitty had done it as well as anyone. Laura had been the light of her life these past fifteen years, but right now all she heard when she closed her eyes at night was, "I hate you."

Matt was listening intently, soaking up every word to better understand the task ahead. "I know it's painful Kitty, but tell me everything that led to her running away."

Kitty nodded. "That night, I noticed some pieces of my jewelry were missing. I knew he had taken them and told Laura. She was furious and said it wasn't Gil, that he wouldn't do something like that. I don't think she was lying, she actually believed it. The next day I did some sleuthing and was able to find out a little more about Gil Cloyd from local law enforcement. He was new in town alright, he's always new in town. His father, Emmett Cloyd, is in prison for embezzling money from a freight company he worked for in Jackson. Gil seems to have learned a few things about making a dishonest living from his father, the apple didn't fall far from that tree. He has quite the reputation, traveling mainly to big cities where he is less conspicuous and conveniently disappearing about the same time as other people's money. There's never any direct evidence it's him, only coincidences. So he's never been officially charged with anything and there are no wanted posters on him."

"How exactly is this money disappearing?" Matt asked.

"Picking pockets, missing money from cash registers, nothing big like a bank robbery. Apparently a hotel he stayed in recently reported that several rooms had been burglarized after their master key was stolen. As I said, there were no witnesses and nobody's talking, so the authorities only have circumstantial evidence. But apparently every place Gil Cloyd goes, somebody else's money leaves with him. Isaac said word was getting around to gambling houses and riverboats to warn their customers, that's where a lot of the pick pocketing was happening since people usually come there with money. I told Laura what I had learned, and of course she said I was making it up to make Gil look bad and keep her away from him. He had told her he was an orphan and gave her some story about traveling around doing odd jobs to save up enough money to buy into his friend's construction business in St. Louis. He was working hard and was going make it big. She truly believed him, and nothing I said could change her mind."

At least he wasn't a violent criminal, Matt thought. Not yet anyway. "And then?" he prodded.

"She was so smitten with him and so angry with me, I knew my forbidding her to see him meant nothing. I started asking neighbor friends to check in after school when I was still at work, just to make sure no one else was there. She caught onto that pretty quickly, and soon the neighbors were telling me that she didn't appear to be home after school. I got all kinds of stories—she stayed late to study, had to help a sick friend get home, was taking a nap and didn't hear the knocking—all lies. I knew she was meeting him somewhere. So I decided one day to follow her, hoping to catch them together. I was desperate, Matt—what else could I do? Send her away to boarding school? I can't afford that, and I wouldn't send her away if I could. I thought if I couldn't talk any sense into her, I could maybe scare the shit out of him. Let him know that I knew the law in this town and that everyone was watching him. I didn't care if he got arrested, I just wanted him to leave town and get away from my daughter."

"Did you catch them?" Matt wondered.

"Yes, I followed her to an abandoned building not far from school, and he was there. I confronted them and said I had found out all about him and his criminal father, that I knew he had taken my jewelry, and I was going to make sure he didn't have a minute's peace as long as he stayed in New Orleans. Laura was terribly upset with me, I knew she would be, but I figured she just needed time to get over it." Kitty pulled a folded up piece of paper from her handbag and handed it to Matt. "Two days later I came home to this letter."

Matt unfolded the paper and pulled a pair of reading glasses from his vest pocket. He read slowly and thoroughly.

_Gil is leaving New Orleans, and I'm going with him. I know you don't approve Mama, and I'm sorry. I wish you knew him like I do. He loves me and I know we are meant to be together. I promise I will be in contact when we get settled. Please try not to worry._

_Laura_

Kitty winced as she read along with him in her mind, every word seared into her memory. Matt folded the paper and handed it back to her. "Have you heard from her since this?"

"Not a word," she replied. "It's been almost a week. I've been contacting train stations and hotels and law enforcement everywhere, trying to find them by myself. Nobody will help me."

"What about the authorities in New Orleans?" Matt asked.

"They say there's nothing they can do because no crime has been committed. Do you know what the age of consent is in Louisiana? Twelve. _Twelve_! A soon as anyone finds out that she's fifteen and left with him willingly, they tell me they're sorry but this is a personal matter, not a legal one. I am totally on my own with this."

"You _were_ totally on your own with this," he corrected her. "I'm going to help you find her."

Kitty looked as if she might cry. "Matt, you don't know what this means to me," she said. "You were my only hope, and if you had turned me down—"

"But I didn't," he assured her. "We'll find her, Kitty. Let me get this bill and I'll walk you back to your room. First thing tomorrow morning I'll start making some inquiries. I still know a lot of people."

Kitty felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of her. She still couldn't rest easy, but this was the most hopeful she had been since Laura had left. As they got up to leave she suddenly remembered her earlier commitment. She was tired and emotionally spent, but she could not disappoint her friends. "Oh Matt, I can't go back to the hotel yet—I have a date with Festus and Newly at The Long Branch."

"Well then," he concluded, "I'll just have to walk you there instead."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Revelations

Chapter 4

_The Previous Week_

Laura Russell had not been looking for love at age fifteen. Though many of her friends were working hard in class at finding a husband, the stunning Miss Russell actually preferred studying science and history and literature. The boys in her class enjoyed studying _her_ and followed her around like needy puppies. She had no interest in them despite their keen attention to her, and she secretly thought there might be something wrong with her. She didn't get the big deal about boys—they were immature and awkward, not a brain in their heads it seemed at times. She wondered if love was something she would ever understand.

Then she met Gil. Black wavy hair, blue eyes, muscular arms—he was a perfect specimen, nothing like those silly boys at school. He was a _man_, worldly and sophisticated, smart and funny, with a healthy dose of ambition and big plans for the future. He also had a way of looking at her that made her go weak in the knees. She could hardly believe that this unbelievable catch had chosen her out of all the girls he undoubtedly could have had. She didn't figure there was a girl in New Orleans who wouldn't give her eye teeth for a man like Gil Cloyd. She also knew her mother wouldn't approve even if he was a young Prince Albert. "You need to do a little more living and a lot more learning before you're ready for a man," she would say. Mama meant well, but she just didn't understand.

As Laura now tossed and turned for the second night in her twin bed at The Prairie Junction Hotel, she figured she had done a whole lot of living and learning in that past month. She was swaddled like a newborn in a paper thin blanket and her feet were cold. The mattress was lumpy and there was a dip in the middle that made it impossible to sleep on her stomach without suffocating. She always slept on her stomach, but at this point she would take any position that didn't result in some body part being molested. There clearly wasn't one in this bed. Out of frustration she sat up and bent over, resting her head in her hands.

She had a full-sized bed at home, with a brass headboard and lace ruffle skirt around the bottom. When it started getting cold, her mother would get out the thick quilt her grandmother made and pile it on top of her pink bedspread. It was soft and warm and sometimes she would pull it all the way over her head because she liked it dark in the morning. She was a late sleeper when given the opportunity, just like her mother, and had recently been introduced to the miracle of coffee. What she had drunk for breakfast this morning was nothing like she had at home. Her mother once told her that there was something called Chester Coffee that tasted like kerosene. Laura drank what she was given out of desperation, but she decided cheap hotels must serve this Chester Coffee. Maybe she would ask them if that was the brand.

In the bed next to her, Gil Cloyd was sawing logs. He seemed quite accustomed to lumpy mattresses with thin blankets, and his rhythmic buzz was doing nothing to help Laura's predicament. She couldn't wait to get to St. Louis. That was the plan when she agreed to go with him, to take the train to St. Louis where his good friend Roy was waiting for him to become his partner in the construction company. It was a big company too, they were building the new St. Louis Union Station, and that had to cost a fortune. Gil and Laura would get married as soon as Gil got settled at work, and Laura would continue her education as he promised she could. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet, but she was thinking either a science teacher or a doctor. Gil told her some of the best medical schools were in St. Louis, and she had researched it at the library herself. But when they got to the station, he had bought them tickets for Shreveport instead of St. Louis. He explained that he had a little business to do in Shreveport, and they would only stay a couple of days. He was vague in the details, something about Roy having a cousin there who owed him money and Gil offering to pick it up on the way.

At least he had taken her out to a nice dinner last night. She watched as he peeled off dollar bills from a large stack, money he had earned from an odd job in Shreveport. He never turned down an opportunity to make some extra money for the business, it was one of many things she admired about him. "This is just a little preview of what life is going to be like in St. Louis," he said as she took another bite of that juicy steak. He rubbed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "You trust me don't you, Baby?" Of course she did.

That trust was getting her through some tough times right now. She was cold, tired, and already homesick. Sometimes love required sacrifice, she remembered Mama saying that one time. She wasn't exactly sure how Mama would know that, seeing as she had never been married. All of her friends' mothers were married or widowed, and Kitty had never lacked interested suitors. It was a topic that piqued Laura's curiosity, but Mama was tight-lipped on the subject and had only given cryptic answers and lots of unsolicited advice. "You're better off alone than with the wrong man, Laura," she lectured. "Don't settle. You are a beautiful, bright girl and you deserve the best. Wait for him."

It wasn't _her_ fault that she didn't have to wait long. Maybe that's why Mama didn't like Gil—she didn't understand that the best _could_ come along early in life. She probably didn't even know what it was like to be young and so very much in love. She had never talked about feeling that way, and why would anyone keep that a secret?

Though she didn't talk much about actual men in her life, Mama had always made sure Laura was properly educated about sex. While her friends were getting an education that consisted of, "Don't do it until you're married, and then pretend you like it," Laura was getting a biology tutorial combined with lessons on love and intimacy, responsibility and consequences, maturity and self-respect. She was the only one of her friends who wasn't alarmed when she got her first period, and more than once her mother had dealt with an angry visitor after Laura had helpfully shared information with a friend. Anyone who thought they'd come to tell Kitty Russell a thing or two quickly learned otherwise. "Ignoring it won't make it go away!" she would yell as her guests ran off her porch, fuming from a stern lecture on raising independent daughters. She never seemed to get a second visit.

Laura smiled as she thought about her mother's spunk. She knew how lucky she was to have been raised by such a woman despite their disagreements, and she was eager for all of this to blow over. Mama would accept Gil eventually, she just had to. She plopped her head back on the mattress, covering her ears with the pillow to drown out the annoying buzz that showed no signs of abating. She'd try once again to get some sleep. Tomorrow at this time they would be in St. Louis.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Revelations

Chapter 5

There was a damp chill in the air as Matt and Kitty began a leisurely stroll from Delmonico's to The Long Branch. Kitty's dress had felt sufficiently warm when she left the hotel, but the colder temperature of this later hour gave her goose bumps. She hugged herself and began rubbing her arms, and Matt immediately took off his suit coat and draped it around her shoulders. They both chuckled as the difference in their heights combined with the longer style of the jacket sent the bottom below her knees.

Kitty carefully looked at each building as they walked by, taking in every detail. "Has it changed much?" he asked. "It's hard for me to tell since I'm never away for very long."

Kitty shook her head. "Not really. Signs have changed and people have changed, but it still feels like…Dodge." She caught herself on the last word, realizing she had almost said "home." She had been in New Orleans now almost as long as she had lived in Dodge, and the near slip took her by surprise.

"We had a lot of good times here, didn't we?" As soon as he said it, Matt wondered if he had stepped over a line. They'd had some bad times too, and he worried that he might bring memories of those back as well.

His fear was unfounded. "We certainly did," she smiled, inhaling deeply and filling her lungs with Dodge City air. Matt flashed a relieved smile, instinctively putting his arm around her and squeezing her shoulder.

As they approached The Long Branch, Kitty stopped. She needed a minute before going inside. The sign was the same, except for the smaller sign underneath with the proprietor's name. As hard as it had been to sell, she felt good about Hannah. Another strong woman, determined to succeed in a male-dominated business. She thought of the blood, sweat and tears she had put into this place and was glad it had survived.

"How is Hannah doing?" she asked.

"Oh, fine," Matt replied. "She's run the place really well, Kitty. I think you will be pleased."

Kitty nodded. "Matt, I'd like to ask you not to tell anyone why I'm here. Not even Festus and Newly. It's—well, it's a private matter that I'd rather no one else know about."

If anyone understood private matters, it was Matt Dillon. "Of course," he assured her. "I won't say anything."

With that, they pushed through the batwing doors at the same time, one on each side, and the crowded saloon erupted in cheers. Kitty was overwhelmed as a line of familiar face took turns hugging her and welcoming her back to Dodge. The men had clearly spread the word and gathered her friends for an impromptu surprise party. Matt positively beamed as he watched the town embrace her return. It was a look that Newly and Festus had not seen in a very long time, and they exchanged subtle, knowing glances. From behind the bar, Hannah shouted above the roar of the crowd. "The first drink's on the house!"

Two hours and many drinks later, most of the crowd had dispersed and Kitty was ready to call it an evening. It had been great fun, but the long day of travel and night of socializing were catching up with her. Matt had promised to start looking into Laura's whereabouts in the morning, and she needed to be able to help him with a clear head.

She addressed Festus and Newly, sitting across the table. "Fellas, this has been wonderful," she proclaimed. "I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed it, and how good it's been to see you both. Thank you for everything."

"Oh fiddlesticks, Miss Kitty," Festus said, waving his hand dismissively. "We didn't do nothin' but tell a passel o' folks that you was gonna be at The Long Branch tonight. They was tickled silly to come and see ya."

"Well, I still appreciate it," she reiterated.

"How long are you going to be in town?" Newly asked.

"I'm not sure," she responded honestly. "It depends on—I mean, I don't have definite plans yet. We'll see."

Matt stood up and removed his oversized coat again. "I'll walk you to The Dodge House," he offered. Kitty happily accepted, and the two waved goodbye to their friends as they left the saloon. Festus winked and Newly smiled—they didn't know exactly what was going on, but it felt like old times and they liked it.

It was even colder now and Kitty hooked her arm around Matt's, huddling close to him for warmth. They walked like that the entire way, stopping just inside the lobby of The Dodge House. "I'll be back in the morning, Kitty," Matt promised. "I need you to make a list of everyone you've contacted so far and what they've been able to tell you."

"I'll do that as soon as I get to my room," she said resolutely. "Matt, again—thank you for everything. I am very grateful for your help."

"I'm happy to do it, Kitty. I'm glad you feel you can still trust me."

That had never been an issue. She had always trusted Matt Dillon with her life. Now she was trusting him with her daughter's.

There was an awkward pause as they figured out how to say goodnight. Matt leaned down for a quick hug, and Kitty brushed his cheek with her lips. It was smooth and smelled like aftershave lotion. She associated that scent with countless nights of passion and pleasure, and she longed to inhale it again more deeply. But the hug ended too soon and the opportunity was over.

"Goodnight, Kitty. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Matt." As he headed out to retrieve his horse and buggy, Kitty fumbled through her handbag for her room key. She had to get started on that list.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Revelations

Chapter 6

Matt usually rose every morning with the sun. He didn't have to anymore, but after so many years it had become his natural biorhythm. So he was quite startled to open his eyes this particular morning to see the clock hands pointing at 8:25.

He scrambled out of bed as quickly as he could, a career of injuries slowing him down a little more each year. After dressing, he used his fingers as a comb and felt his face to determine if he could get away with not shaving. The verdict on that was no. His beard had grayed, and he decided that the stubble she used to find manly now made him look like a hobo. He drew some water from the pump and got out his straight razor, reminding himself that rushing the job could be hazardous.

Normally he would make coffee on the tiny stove in his sparse kitchen, but he would wait and get some in town. Dressed much more casually than the previous night, he saddled his horse and headed to Dodge City for the second time in less than a day. It wasn't a long trip, half an hour in good weather, but he normally didn't go into town all that often. Sometimes he met his friends for breakfast or dinner, and occasionally Newly would request his help on a case, but he spent a lot of time alone at the farm. He had become an avid reader in retirement, rediscovering a love of history that had taken a back seat to keeping law and order for most of his life. There were always chores to do as well, but it wasn't like he had to break his back to raise a family and put food on the table. This was a hobby farm, some chickens and a dairy cow and a few pigs that he bred and sold. His savings were meager, but so was his lifestyle. He had everything he needed in life, if not everything he wanted.

Despite sleeping late, Matt was tired. His night had not been restful, which he figured had contributed to his not waking up with the sun. He always had difficulty sleeping when there was a lot on his mind.

To say that he had been shocked at learning that Kitty Russell wanted to come to Dodge and meet with him was an understatement. He had given up hope long ago of ever seeing her again, though she was never far from his mind. Her mysterious wire had made it clear that she had an important reason for this visit, she wasn't just passing through to say hello for old time's sake. He didn't think twice about agreeing to meet her, but his imagination ran wild over what he would hear when he did. Could she be sick? What if this was a dying wish for closure? No, surely she wouldn't do that to him. But he felt it had to be something personal, and the possibilities seemed limited. What if she wanted to…? He stopped himself from finishing that sentence in his head, it was a ridiculous thought which he chided himself for even considering. It was a mere coincidence that he decided the following day to buy a new suit for the first time since he was a pallbearer at Doc's funeral. He had felt butterflies in his stomach as he approached Delmonico's last night, wondering if the reunion scene he had been playing in his head would have any resemblance to reality. Well aware that his image of her was frozen in time, he couldn't imagine that she would be anything but beautiful. That was the one thing he got right.

_I have a teen-aged daughter, Matt_. His heart had skipped a beat at those words, and numbers began running through his head before she told him about the adoption. He wondered if Doc had known, almost certain that he had. Kitty must have told him in confidence, and Doc was as trustworthy as they came. It had probably been in his best interest not to know about her new life, he was dealing with enough loss and what-ifs at the time.

But now he knew, and in a big way. As happy as he was that Kitty trusted him with the task of finding her, he felt an enormous responsibility. Someone's life may depend on him, and despite his assurances to Kitty he couldn't be certain he would find her. He would do his very best, but sometimes that wasn't enough. He knew that all too well from years of experience and had hoped the days of carrying that burden were over. This wasn't the time to think about himself, though. Kitty needed him, and he had spent most of the night devising a plan to locate Laura.

There were few people wandering around Front Street when Matt rode up to The Dodge House, but as luck would have it Festus Haggen was one of them. Festus squinted as he watched his friend dismount in front of the hotel, making sure that his old eyes weren't deceiving him.

"Matthew!" he called loudly, rushing toward him. Matt sighed, suddenly wishing he had concocted a story for such an occasion. As fond as he was of Festus, this was the last thing he needed right now.

"I thought that was you!" Festus continued as he got closer. "Now why didn't you tell us you was a comin' back to town today?"

"Oh, I just decided it a little while ago," he lied.

Festus glanced up at the hotel sign and then back at Matt with a curious smile. "Well, I cain't say I blame you fer decidin'," he teased.

"It's not like that, Festus," Matt tried to explain. He didn't want any gossip about this, it wasn't fair to Kitty. But he was beginning to realize that it might be awfully hard to prevent that and still keep her secret.

"You mean you ain't here to see Miss Kitty?" he asked in a surprised tone.

"I am, but it's just business," Matt replied.

"What kind o' business?" Festus pressed.

"The kind of business that's none of your business," Matt said, slightly irritated. "Look Festus, I need you to do something for me, as my friend. I need you to not ask me about this anymore, and to not tell anyone else about it either. It's important, I can't tell you why but you're going to have to trust me on this. Can you do that?"

"Well, 'course I can, Matthew," Festus declared confidently, still curious but steadfast in his loyalty.

"Thanks Festus, I appreciate it," Matt nodded, indicating that it was time to go. "I'll talk to you later," he said and immediately headed into The Dodge House. He scanned the small lobby, where a group of guests was checking out, but she wasn't there. It occurred to him that they hadn't set a definite time to meet and he didn't even know what room she was in. She was probably waiting on him, so he stood patiently until the desk clerk was free. "Good morning," he offered politely to the young man he recognized but didn't know personally. "I'm supposed to be meeting Miss Russell here, but I'm afraid she forgot to tell me her room number. Can you look that up for me?"

"Certainly, Marshal," the eager-to-please clerk replied. He was too young to remember when Matt Dillon was the law in this town, but the tall man's reputation was even bigger than his stature, and everyone still reverently referred to him as Marshal. He had fought it at first, thinking it might seem like an insult to his successor, but Newly didn't seem to mind and had even slipped a few times himself in the beginning. Matt eventually accepted that the title was his for life and appreciated the sentiment behind it.

"She's in room 206," the helpful man informed him.

"Much obliged," Matt returned. He took the stairs, considerably slower than in earlier days, and knocked lightly on the door marked 206. Getting no answer, he knocked again a little more forcefully. "Kitty, it's Matt." A few seconds later he heard sounds of activity inside the room.

"Oh Matt, I'm sorry," came a hoarse reply that he recognized immediately. It was her morning voice, weak and drowsy, that only grew stronger after a cup of coffee. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had overslept.

"Are you okay?" he asked, just to make sure.

"I'm fine, hold on just a minute," she instructed as more sounds of busy activity came from the room. Matt stood silently until the door finally opened. She looked at him sheepishly, not a speck of face paint and her hair in a single braid falling down one side. She was wearing a casual light green dress that looked warmer and more comfortable than the previous night's outfit. "I must look a fright," she said, self-consciously putting her hands over her bare face. "I couldn't get to sleep, and then I started dozing early this morning, and I meant to get up—"

"It's fine, Kitty" he broke in gently. "I think you look wonderful." It was the face he had been lucky enough to wake up to for so many years, aged and more mature, but still naturally beautiful.

"Thanks Matt," she replied, still embarrassed. "You do realize I'm not going out like this?" They started laughing at the same time, an inside joke born from her steadfast rule of never being seen in public "naked," as she had called it. Matt eyed a chair in the corner of the room. "I'll be right over here," he said lightly.

As Kitty sat at the small mirror making herself presentable, Matt in the corner wearing a slightly worn hat and cowboy boots, they both had the same thought. Except for the size and décor of the room, it was as though time had stood still for sixteen years and was now taunting them with images of a glorious past that could possibly have been the present, if only they had done things differently.

Kitty didn't take long, mindful that he was waiting and they had important work to do. She clipped up her braid and grabbed the paper that was sitting on the table beside her bed. "This is the list I made," she announced, handing it to Matt. "Everyone I have talked to, wired, and called about where Gil and Laura might be."

Matt glanced at the list, which was long. Nodding, he folded it and put it in his pocket. "It looks like a good start, Kitty. Let's get some breakfast and go over it."

They left The Dodge House and walked side by side down the street, looking as though it might be something they did together every day.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Revelations

Chapter 7

_After Shreveport..._

Gil held Laura's hand as the train rolled toward their final destination. She looked so tired and he wished she could sleep on the trip, but she found their bench seat too uncomfortable. Poor thing, she couldn't even sleep on a bad mattress. Hopefully they would have a better bed tonight at Roy's.

He honestly loved this girl, perhaps the only honest thing about him. New Orleans was supposed to be just another stop on his roundabout way to St. Louis, but that had changed almost instantly when he saw her walking along Canal Street with a friend, sharing a funny story and laughing infectiously. He didn't think he had ever seen hair quite that color, and those _eyes_. He was completely mesmerized by her and guessed her to be seventeen or eighteen. Having no lack of self-confidence with the ladies, Gil decided to introduce himself. She seemed to be as taken with him as he was with her, and she accepted his invitation to have ice cream at the shop down the street. It was there that he learned her true age, a girl barely in high school who couldn't stay out too late or else her mother would worry. He knew he should walk away, but she looked and acted so mature that he convinced himself to discount the number. She was outgoing and smart, and conversation between them came easy. He'd been with a lot of girls, but there was something special about Laura Russell.

Gil had no doubt that her mother was looking for them this very minute. Laura was close to her mother, and he almost felt guilty for talking her into this. She was stubborn, but he was older and more persuasive. Six years seemed like a big age difference now, but what about when they were thirty and thirty-six? Seventy-five and eighty-one? Her mother may object now, but just think how happy she would be when her little girl was blissfully married to a successful man who could give her everything. Isn't that what every mother wanted for her daughter? She'll come around, he promised. Gil always had a way of getting what he wanted.

He didn't like lying to her, but she wasn't the type who would appreciate his kind of truth. Some women didn't care as long as he bought them nice things, but he had never been serious about any of them. They were merely pretty accessories, like his new silver money clip. No, Laura was different, and he had to handle this just right. The ruse would be much easier to keep up once they got to St. Louis. No more petty thefts and hocking stolen jewelry, a regular paycheck was on the horizon.

It almost seemed like fate when his buddy Roy told him about a chance meeting with a man who worked at Wiley Construction Company. Gil and Roy had been best friends since childhood, both growing up with widowed fathers and sharing a penchant for getting into trouble. Emmett Cloyd, not exactly a model of virtue himself, had thought Roy was dangerous and tried to keep his son away from him. But once Emmett was arrested for embezzlement, he had neither the opportunity nor the moral authority to dictate his son's activities. It was around that time that Roy's father sent him to St. Louis to live with an uncle, hoping by some miracle another man could control his increasingly out-of-control son. Roy and Gil stayed in touch, each promising the other to look for lucrative opportunities. They both had a taste for the high life, if not for hard work to get there.

The man from Wiley Construction worked in the contract billing office, and to Roy's good fortune was just as unscrupulous as he. After a few beers, he confided in his new friend that he had a little side business going that was proving quite profitable. For a thousand dollars, he would add customers to the books as a fake contracting company. They didn't have to actually do anything—a "ghost employee" it was called around his circles—they would just receive checks from Wiley Construction for the services they provided, or didn't provide as the case would be. Wiley managed projects ranging from major hotels to department stores to the new train station downtown and saw revenues in the millions. There was no way anyone was going to audit every piece of lumber or doorknob that they bought from other companies. He'd had to cut one of the accountants in on the deal to make it work, and his customers had to agree to turn over a small percentage of their earnings to the two cohorts every month. But considering it wasn't really earnings it was a pretty sweet deal. Gil had eagerly embraced the plan and had begun the task of raising the buy-in money immediately, town by town, job by job. If only his father had been as clever he wouldn't be serving five years in prison. When you're one of three employees at a small freight office, it's only a matter of time before someone realizes the money is missing. This plan, in contrast, was almost foolproof.

Laura laid her head on Gil's shoulder and closed her eyes. Her hair smelled good, like a blend of coconut and honey. Gil glanced at his bag and made a mental note not to let her see him empty it. He had managed to sell every piece of jewelry in Shreveport except that damn cameo. It was the real reason they had stopped there, he never sold stolen items in the same town where people might recognize them. The sale of the ring and necklace had put him over the thousand dollar mark, with enough to spare for a nice dinner and a little more. He had almost thrown the cameo away but decided to hang onto it just in case, it might bring a quick buck in a pinch.

But hopefully those days were over now that he had finally collected the money he needed to start his new career. He would buy a nice suit and pretend to go to the office every day and she would be so proud of him. He wasn't sure what he would actually do all day, but St. Louis was a big city and it was going to be fun finding out. With a fancy "job" and a beautiful woman on his arm, Gil Cloyd had arrived.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Revelations

Chapter 8

Kitty picked over her scrambled eggs as Matt studied the list she had put together. The first name was Clare Warner, Laura's best friend since fourth grade. She had reluctantly broken her promise not to tell after Kitty told her what she had learned about Gil Cloyd. Worried about her friend, Clare repeated the same story that Laura had told Kitty about Gil having a friend in St. Louis who was going to be his partner in a big construction business. Laura hadn't told Clare the friend's name, or if she had Clare didn't remember. But Laura had told her that she and Gil were leaving on the afternoon train and promised to write her when they got to St. Louis. Clare hadn't heard from her since, but there hadn't really been time to get a letter. Kitty had talked to every ticket agent at the train station, but no one remembered them. That wasn't surprising, though, hundreds of couples bought tickets every day and there was nothing unusual about them that would call attention. Kitty was convinced they had indeed left on the train that day.

She then went to all the gambling houses in the area, certain that Gil had visited at least one of them during his time in New Orleans. He knew better than to show his face in her establishment, but surely he couldn't resist every place teaming with all those unsuspecting pockets of money and watches. She finally found a bartender in a saloon who remembered someone who fit his description, calling him a braggart and a mediocre poker player. He had lost more than he won, but he never ran out of money. Kitty asked if any customers had complained of being relieved of their wallets during that time, and he said as a matter of fact there had been several reports of pickpocketing recently. However, no one had seen a thing and they had no idea who did it. He was just that good. The only new piece of information she had gathered from the conversation was that Gil had talked up a big shot friend in St. Louis named Roy, and they were going to be rich. This had to be the business partner, but she didn't have a last name.

Next, she had gone to the library and made a list of every hotel in St. Louis she could find. Some of them had telephones, a technology that had been gaining popularity over the past decade. The telegraph office had a telephone available for use, though it wasn't cheap. But the ability to have an actual conversation with a real person was worth the added expense to her, and she called any hotel with a telephone number listed. The others she sent wires with descriptions of Gil and Laura, but none of her inquiries had led to any information. Several places had refused to answer her questions at all, saying their guests had an expectation of privacy and if there was no legal basis for the inquiry they could not help her. She had thought about just hopping on a train to St. Louis but had absolutely no idea how to even begin looking for them in the sprawling city once she got there. As agonizing as it was to wait, she decided her best bet was to make this side trip to ask for help from the best.

Matt listened silently as she described every conversation, every brick wall. When she finished, he took a final look at the list. "It seems to me the best clue we have is this Roy. If he really exists and we can find him, he will lead us to Gil and Laura."

Kitty adopted a sarcastic expression. "Oh sure, let's give them a call. 'Hello, St. Louis, can you tell me where Roy lives?'" Matt frowned at her facetious tone.

"I'm sorry, Matt" she offered immediately. "I've just talked to so many people and am so frustrated. I didn't mean to sound so ungrateful."

"It's okay, I understand," he replied. "Look, I know St. Louis is a big city, but how many people named Roy could there be who are partners at a large construction company? It's worth a shot. I happen to know the St. Louis County Clerk, a fellow I go way back with by the name of Tim Farrell. All kinds of public records come through his office—births, deaths, property deeds and taxes. I bet he's familiar with the big construction companies in town and he owes me a favor. He'll help if I ask him to, I'm sure of it. As soon as we're done here, let's go to the telegraph office and send him a message."

Kitty heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, that does sound promising. You know, I had almost forgotten how handy you are to have around."

Matt smiled. "I can't say I've forgotten anything about you, Kitty." They both blushed at the comment. Kitty didn't know how to respond, but the words enveloped her like a warm coat. There was an awkward silence before Matt decided this was a good time to pick up the bill. "I'll go pay this, and then we'll go to the telegraph office." Kitty opened her bag and handed him some money. This wasn't a date, after all. "Here Matt, I want to get this. You got dinner last night." Matt objected but she insisted, and he could never do a thing with her when that happened. He reluctantly took the cash and paid the bill.

The telegraph office was not very busy, and they were waited on immediately. "We need to send a wire to the County Clerk's office in St. Louis," Matt told the man behind the counter. Matt asked for a piece of paper and together he and Kitty composed a message that included the only pieces of information they had—the name Roy, possibly a partner at a large construction company, and the name Gil Cloyd, who may have joined him there in the past week. It wasn't much to go on, but Matt figured stranger miracles had occurred on cases.

Once the wire had been sent, the two walked outside and stood idly on the sidewalk, wondering what to do now. The clouds of the previous evening had completely blown over and bright sunshine was filling the blue Kansas sky. It was going to be a beautiful, warm autumn day in Dodge.

"I expect it will be a little while before we hear back from Tim, one way or another," Matt guessed. "Do you have plans, or would you like for me to walk you back to the hotel?"

Kitty inhaled the fresh, crisp air and looked around Front Street. "I don't have plans and honestly I'd rather not go back to the hotel either. I'd just be sitting around stewing over this all day. I'd like to keep busy, maybe enjoy the nice weather."

Matt thought for a few seconds. "If you'd like—I mean, it's fine if you don't, just say so—but we could ride out to my place for a while. I could show you my farm." It was an innocent offer, and he hoped she took it as such.

"I'd like that," she replied cheerfully. "You rode in on a horse, though. What am I supposed to do, jump on behind you?" There was a time when she could have done so easily, but the thought now gave her visions of sore muscles.

"Why don't I just rent a buggy at the livery?" he suggested. "It looks like a good day for a buggy ride, don't you think?" It did indeed. They walked to the livery, much larger than it had been in Moss Grimmick's day, and picked out a two person buggy. Matt hitched up his horse and helped her up, then took his place next to her. Matt Dillon was about one and a half persons himself, so the fit was rather cozy. It looked like she was almost on his lap as they began to roll down the street, and out of the corner of his eye Matt saw Festus and Newly craning their necks so far back that he thought they might twist off.

Kitty's shoulder was so tightly pushed against his that she could barely move. She subtly pulled her arm out of its restrictive quarters and moved her shoulder just in front of his, allowing her arm the freedom to roam. She absentmindedly placed it on his leg, as that seemed the most natural and comfortable place for it. Matt noticed but stared straight ahead, fearful that calling attention to it might cause it to move. They enjoyed the closeness silently until a small lake came into view. "Look familiar?" Matt asked, knowing the answer. The trees around it were taller, but there was no mistaking that lake. It was the sight of their first date, a fishing trip that turned into a picnic that almost turned into much more. Of course they eventually did turn into much more, and sometimes the much more had happened in that very spot.

Kitty gave him a wry grin. "We sure had a lot of fun at this lake, didn't we?" she reminisced.

"A lot of fun," he agreed, sounding wistful. It had, in fact, been some of the best times of his life. With a job that allowed for rare escape from responsibility, every stolen minute with Kitty Russell at that tranquil spot was like a little slice of heaven. Matt wasn't sure if it was the fresh air or their unexpectedly easy rapport after so many years, but he felt emboldened to broach the subject that they had both been avoiding.

"What happened to us, Kitty?" he asked rhetorically, as he knew exactly what had happened. Another serious job related injury, more pleading for him to stop the insanity and retire, an unyielding stubbornness on his part to do so. She had left once before under similar circumstances, and he had been fortunate enough that she had changed her mind and come back to him. But his good fortune ran out sixteen years ago when she sold The Long Branch, bought a one-way train ticket, and left him a letter instructing him not to try and contact her. She'd had enough, and she needed a clean break. As much as it hurt, he didn't blame her.

Kitty pondered his words, fully aware that there was no mystery in that situation. But she might have asked the same rhetorical question had he not done so first. It was still hard to grasp that a love so consuming, one that had faced so many obstacles yet continued to burn brightly for that many years, could have flickered out like a spent candle.

"Life happened," she finally offered quietly. "My life, your life—I guess we wanted different things. It doesn't make either of us wrong Matt, it's just the way it was."

He had wondered for sixteen years how bitter the breakup had left her, and at this moment it seemed not at all. Surely at first it she felt differently, but this was about as comforting an answer as he could have expected.

"What about now, Kitty?" he ventured. "How is it now? Are you happy?"

It was a subject she had trained herself to avoid, but here it was staring her in the face demanding an answer. She wanted to be truthful but chose her words carefully. "I've done well in New Orleans, Matt. I have a successful business, good friends, a daughter who is the light of my life. So yes, I suppose I'm happy. At least I was before Laura left with that hooligan. Do I have everything I want? No, but who does? I choose to concentrate on what I do have." Matt nodded in understanding.

Feeling emboldened by this burst of honest conversation, Kitty made a spur of the moment decision to ask her own question. "What made you decide to retire, Matt?" she blurted out. Apparently she wanted to know after all.

"I didn't," he replied. "It was decided for me."

Kitty looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I got sick with pneumonia a couple of years after you left, and Newly was appointed my replacement until I recovered. It took weeks, and the War Department apparently decided in the meantime that I was too old and no longer able to fulfill the duties of the job. I got a nice letter thanking me for my 'many years of invaluable service' and wishing me luck in the future. Newly was ready to resign in protest, but I talked him out of it. He was younger and stronger and doing a better job than I could at that point, and I decided the town shouldn't suffer over some misplaced loyalty to me. Deep down I knew the War Department was right, and I left quietly.

Kitty knew none of this but understood why Doc had failed to tell her—she had never asked. Matt's unwillingness to give up that badge had been the source of too much heartache, and Doc was careful not to burden her with details that only dredged up bad memories and didn't change anything. He knew she would want to know when Newly became the marshal, and he made sure she also knew that Matt was alive and well in the process. She had not pressed for further information.

"I'm sorry, Matt" she said quietly.

"Don't be," he told her. "It was time, hell it was past time. I should have done it when…well, when it would have made a difference."

"Why didn't you?" she asked tentatively, unsure of where he was going with that remark.

Matt sighed. "I wish I knew. I could tell you that it was what I did and who I was for so long that the thought of losing that identity scared me. And that certainly had something to do with it. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that the thought of settling down and getting married scared me even more, and I knew that's what would be expected of me if I retired. Not just from you, but from my friends, everyone. It had nothing to do with how devoted I was to you, Kitty. It was not possible for me to have loved or wanted a woman more than I did you. I just wasn't convinced that being a husband was something I could do well, or even wanted to."

She had spent nineteen years of her life waiting, and now it seemed as if all those plans for someday, all those reasons for why not now, were delays and excuses from a man scared of commitment. Kitty accepted his explanation calmly, surprising even herself. On some level she had known this all along, and it was validating to finally hear it out loud.

"I appreciate your honesty," she said. "As long as it took, at least we finally did the right thing. You didn't make the mistake of marrying me out of obligation, and I was strong enough to leave when you didn't."

"You were right to leave Kitty, but you're wrong about my mistake," he corrected. "My mistake was in _not_ marrying you. I doubted myself every day after you left, but after I retired I knew for sure I had been a fool. I started living that life we had planned together all those years, except without you it was like living half a life. It's been that way ever since. Being your husband would have made me a very happy man. I just realized it too late."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Revelations

Chapter 9

Laura lifted her head from Gil's shoulder as the train slowly rolled into St. Louis Station. She hadn't really slept but had dozed enough that she felt more rested than when they left. As the train made a full stop, Gil squeezed her hand. "We've arrived, Baby. Welcome home." Laura gave him a sleepy smile and squeezed back. She grabbed her small bag and stood up, stretching hard to work out the kink in her neck.

They quickly found the exit at Freemont Street and headed toward the streetcar. She could see a couple of blocks away where the new station was being built, courtesy of Wiley Construction. Even if that was their only project this would be an impressive business, but she knew this was just one of many. And her fiancé was not just an employee, he was going to be a partner. Mama would surely come around when she saw how successful he was.

They caught the streetcar for a 15-minute ride to Roy's neighborhood. He was currently living in his uncle's house, but his uncle was out of town visiting relatives. That meant there was a spare room, and Gil and Laura would stay with him for now. Laura hadn't known what to expect when they arrived after a short walk from the streetcar stop, but somehow this wasn't what she had pictured. The small wood framed house badly needed painting, and one of the steps leading up to the porch was broken. "It's just temporary," Gil reminded her, noticing her expression. "We won't be here long, I promise." She supposed that Roy must saving up money for his own place as well. Someone with such a good job wouldn't live here for very long.

Laura nodded and they carefully avoided the bad step as they made their way to the front door. Gil knocked loudly, and a few seconds later the door opened. Roy Hanson was a big man, much larger than Gil, with blond hair and blue eyes. Gil had talked about them being like brothers, but that was obviously in name only. They couldn't have looked more different. Roy grabbed Gil's free hand and shook it enthusiastically. "You made it, Man. You finally made it!" Roy's sizable grin suddenly disappeared as he saw the unexpected companion standing behind his friend. "Who's the girl?" he asked suspiciously.

Laura stepped forward and extended her hand with a smile. "I'm Laura Russell. It's very nice to meet you. Gil has told me so much about you."

"Wish I could say the same," Roy muttered, clearly unhappy but taking her hand for a less enthused shake. "Won't you come in?" He opened the door wider and motioned her toward the front room. As Laura stepped inside he stuck his hand out to keep Gil on the porch, pulling the door half shut and lowering his voice. "Who the hell is this? We didn't talk about cutting anyone else in on the deal."

"I met her in New Orleans," Gil explained. "She's something else Roy, I've never known anyone like her. And just look at her. Come on, could you have left that behind? As soon as we get this deal up and running I'm going to marry her."

"And what does she think about this deal?" he whispered with a hiss. If there was one thing Roy knew from a life of cons, it was the fewer people involved the less chance of anything going wrong.

"She doesn't know," Gil replied equally quietly. "She thinks we're becoming partners in the construction business. I'll be going out during the day like I've got a regular job, and she'll see regular paychecks, so there will be no reason for her to get suspicious. I've got it covered, Roy, don't worry."

"You'd better," he warned. "I stuck my neck out to get us this arrangement, and I promise you it won't be pretty if you screw it up."

"Have I ever screwed anything up?" Gil asked defensively. He pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket. "A thousand dollars, and a few to spare. All in a few jobs, and not one law man on my ass."

Roy relaxed a bit and pushed the door wide open, allowing Gil to finally come inside. "Your room is down the hall on the left," he told Laura, trying to make a friendlier impression than his initial one. "I hope you find it comfortable."

"Thank you," she responded as she carried her bag to the room. All she asked for was a decent mattress. She opened the door and saw a full-sized bed with a bland cream colored bedspread. There wasn't a visible dip in the middle, so that was a start. Laura felt a flutter of nerves as she eyed the solitary bed. They had slept in twin beds at the cheap hotel in Shreveport, and that had been fine with her. She loved Gil and was hopelessly attracted to him, but she had never been intimate with a man and it hadn't felt like the right time just yet. She wanted it to be more romantic, more special. Mama had always stressed that it was her choice and nobody else's. Besides, she kept track of her cycle and knew it was her fertile time. Gil wasn't happy about it, but he agreed it would be best to wait. They would have a lifetime together, there was no hurry.

Laura went over to the only other piece of furniture in the room, a small dresser, and opened the top drawer. She pulled several undergarments from her bag and neatly folded them before placing them inside. She then spied a tall narrow door and found that it led to the tiniest closet she had ever seen. It was barely even deep enough to warrant a door, she thought, but she pulled out a crumpled dress and hung it on one of two wooden hangers inside. She had to push the dress inward as she closed the door to keep it from spilling out. _It's only temporary. He promised._

Laura heard muffled baritone voices in the front room and decided to see what was keeping Gil. He was probably just talking business with his partner, but she had sensed some hostility from Roy and needed a little assurance that everything was okay. She emerged from the room and the conversation went silent. "Is everything to your liking?" Roy asked politely.

"It's just fine," she exaggerated. "Gil, do you want to come and put your things away too?"

"Sure," he shrugged and followed her back into the room with his bag. "I know it's a bit rough, Baby, but I swear we won't be here long. Roy has arranged for me to meet with the owner tomorrow to start the paperwork. We'll be settling into our own place before you know it."

Laura put both arms around his neck and he drew her into him. "I can't wait," she purred, pressing her lips to his for a tender, lingering kiss.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Revelations

Chapter 10

Kitty knew as soon as she saw the simple white house with the rocker on the porch that this was Matt's place. She couldn't explain it, but it just looked like him. He tugged on the reins and his buckskin came to a halt. He had always been partial to buckskins, they had served him well during his years as a lawman and he figured they'd serve him well afterwards too. He helped Kitty out of the buggy before unhitching the horse and heading toward the barn. "I'll be right back," he promised.

_My mistake was in not marrying you_. The sentence played over and over in her head like she was hearing it on a talking machine. Not in a million years did she think she those words would escape the lips of Matt Dillon. For well over three decades, she had defined her romantic life by the fact that her one true love had chosen not to marry her. Finding out how much he had regretted that decision produced conflicting emotions, too many to process at the moment. The ride after that revelation had been mostly silent, but strangely not in an awkward way. It was as if they had already said everything that needed saying for now, both realizing for the first time how overdue that conversation had been. Perhaps the rest of the day would best be spent enjoying this beautiful autumn weather.

Matt returned from the barn and led her up to the front porch of his humble home. "This is nice, Matt," she offered genuinely.

"It's nothing fancy, but I like it," he said as he pulled a key out of his pocket. Kitty glanced around the property as he worked the lock. "It's so peaceful out here, so relaxing. That's just as good as fancy. Maybe better."

Matt held the door open and Kitty walked inside to a practical, functional kitchen equipped with exactly what was needed to fix a meal and not one item more. You could see the whole house from the kitchen. A bedroom was on either side of the fireplace, which was straight ahead. There was a large, comfortable looking chair in front of the fireplace with a small table next to it that was stacked with books. Matt's room had a double bed, ultra long, with a nightstand and matching dresser and mirror. A small basin and shaving kit were among the few items on the dresser. The second bedroom contained only two single beds with a plain chest of drawers between them. The house was well-maintained, freshly painted and not a broken board or cracked plaster in sight—clearly a handy man lived here. Kitty couldn't help thinking what a difference a woman's touch would make.

"Well, I'd show you around but I think you've seen it all," he joked. Kitty laughed. "Hey, it's bigger than your place at the boarding house," she reminded him. He'd kept a room all the years they were together even though he rarely slept there.

"Just barely," he noted. "You wouldn't guess that the people I bought it from raised four kids here, would you?"

"Four kids?! Where?" she asked incredulously.

"There were four beds squeezed into that second bedroom when I moved in. They had four boys, it must have been pretty cozy in here. Good family to run a farm, though. The furniture came with the house, the kids were grown and they didn't want to move all this stuff. I stored two of the beds out in one of the barns and kept the other two for company. The only thing I had to buy was a bed for myself because theirs wasn't big enough."

"You get company out here, do you?" she teased.

"Occasionally," he insisted, in a tone of mock offense. "Actually, Doc used to come out quite a bit for the first few years I was here, until…" he trailed off. It was still hard to talk about. "Festus comes out sometimes, Newly too but he usually can't stay overnight because he needs to be closer to town."

"I'm glad you've stayed close to them," she said sincerely. Matt was not one who got close to many people, and with her and Doc gone she was sure their friendship meant a lot to him.

Matt nodded. "Me too. Well, why don't we go outside," he suggested, changing the subject. "There's more to see out there than in here." He led her out the door and around to the back. The land went back pretty far, and there was indeed much to see—an outhouse, chicken coop, two barns, a pen with some pigs, and several small garden patches with healthy looking plants of some kind. Loose chickens wandered around the grounds.

"Why Matt Dillon, you are a regular farmer," she marveled. "How on earth did you learn how to do all this?"

"It's not that hard," he shrugged. "At least not on such a small scale. It's a lot easier when it's a hobby and you're doing it for fun. I got a few tips from some of the townsfolk." As he was talking, a rooster ran over and started pecking on Kitty's boot.

"Oscar, stop it!" he chided.

"Oscar?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. The thought of Matt having farm animals, much less naming them, almost made her giggle.

"Sorry, he's a bit of an ass," Matt announced in all seriousness. "Feel free to give him a kick if he does it again."

"Okay," Kitty replied in amusement, though she was not going to kick his rooster no matter how annoying he was. She had always been such an animal lover. "What are you growing over there?" she wondered, pointing to the garden patches.

"Onions, cabbage, some beets. I get most of my food at The General Store in town, but I enjoy growing a few things here. And of course I get fresh eggs from the chickens and milk from Daisy."

"I hope Daisy is a cow," she deadpanned.

Matt laughed. "Fortunately, yes. Want to see her?"

"Sure," Kitty replied. The whole experience still seemed surreal to her.

They walked over to one of the barns and Daisy mooed loudly. "Do you need some relief, old girl?" he asked sympathetically. A stack of pails sat in the corner. "Oh, this I've _got_ to see," Kitty insisted, folding her arms and looking as though she was waiting for a show to begin.

"Prepare to be dazzled," he cracked as he grabbed a pail off the stack and moved a short stool beside the cow. He sat down and grabbed a teat with each hand, expertly pulling one and then the other as a heavy flow of milk shot out each time. "Well now I've seen everything," she declared.

"Want to give it a try?" he asked.

Kitty shook her head. "Oh no, I get my milk the way God intended—delivered on my front porch in a bottle."

"You're such a city girl," he needled her. "It's much better this way." With that comment, he aimed one at her face and squeezed. A heavy stream of milk hit its mark.

"Matt!" she exclaimed, momentarily unsure whether this was maddening or funny. She wiped her face with her hands as drops fell on her dress, and Matt literally fell off the stool laughing.

"Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," he replied unconvincingly, still laughing. "You should see the look on your face."

"I'd like to, but I have milk in my eyes," she joked. How he had missed that quick wit.

"Here, let me help you with that," he offered, standing up and pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket. He lifted her chin with one hand and lightly dabbed around her eyes with the other. He then moved down her cheeks and around her mouth, looking into her eyes as he explored her face with his hands for the first time in over sixteen years. Kitty felt a familiar tingle that she thought had died the day she left Dodge City. She grabbed his wrists with the intention of pushing him away before something happened that they both regretted, but she couldn't find the strength. He relished the feel of her touch and continued to slowly dab her face with the handkerchief, now merely a prop in a delicate act of foreplay. As a single drop of milk hung on one cheek, he leaned in and put his lips around it, sliding his tongue over the area before beginning to move down.

"Matt, we can't," she whispered, making a feeble attempt to pull away.

"Why not?" he whispered back as his tongue continued its journey.

"Because…it will…complicate things." She was struggling to catch her breath as he reached her neck.

"It's already complicated," he countered before finding her mouth for a deep, probing kiss. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked, wondering how he might accomplish that if she did. Kitty swallowed hard and couldn't find her voice. Everything in her head screamed yes, but she shook her head no.

It had been a long time since a man had seen her naked, and even longer since that man had been Matt Dillon. Broad daylight shone through cracks between the wood of the barn, and she bit her lip nervously as he began undoing the buttons on her dress. He took her hand and guided it to his belt, a ritual they had performed often in younger days but which suddenly made her feel like a naughty teenager. With one solid yank the buckle was released and the belt easily pulled out of the loops. She hadn't forgotten how to do that, at least.

He began slipping her dress down, exposing those familiar freckled shoulders that had always driven him wild. He kissed each one tenderly as he unlaced her corset. She felt his excitement as she unbuttoned his pants and helped him slide them down. Every article of clothing eventually found its way to the ground, and the once long time lovers followed. He was soon on top of her, their bodies coming together like two perfectly crafted pieces completing a puzzle. It felt as if no time had elapsed at all.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Revelations

Chapter 11

On her fourth day in St. Louis, Laura awoke alone as usual. Gil had started work right away, and he and Roy were always gone by the time she got up. She had been sleeping better so far, thanks to a more comfortable bed and quiet neighborhood. Snuggling up to Gil at night had kept her warm, though that didn't always help with the sleeping part. They did as much as she would allow to enjoy the closeness, but she was determined to stay true to her convictions. The stark bedroom of someone else's broken down house was not the place she wanted to remember such a special moment.

St. Louis was twice as large as New Orleans, and Laura couldn't get over how much there was to do. She had gone out exploring the past three days, every place within walking distance, and had seen museums, churches, department stores, and a public library that put theirs to shame. Gil told her he would be getting his first paycheck next week, and he was going to take her to the finest restaurant in town to celebrate. They would start looking for their own place then too.

She knew her mother must be worried sick and desperately wanted to contact her. She hated the thought of Mama being upset, but Gil convinced her that they had to wait until they were married. "Do you want her coming up here and dragging you back to New Orleans?" he asked. "After we have our own place you can wire her, we'll even invite her up to visit. She'll see how happy you are and what a good life we have, and it will all work out. I promise, Baby." She had at least written the promised letter to Clare, swearing her to secrecy about their location. It should arrive in a few days.

Laura eased out of bed and decided she would stay home today. She was kind of tired of walking around town, and this place could use a good cleaning. Dishes were left everywhere, newspapers strewn about, dirty clothes on the floor—men were so messy. It had only been her and Mama their whole lives, so this had been quite an adjustment. She didn't relish the idea of being their maid, but Roy _was_ letting them stay there for free and Gil was working hard, so it was the least she could do right now. She would have a talk with Gil later about personal habits and expectations.

Laura warmed up the coffee Gil had left in the pot and sat down with her library book. She had checked out _The Picture of Dorian Gray_, which was on the reading list for her literature class at school. She would no doubt be enrolling in school at some point and this might be on her new class syllabus as well. If not, she loved to read and it seemed like a good way to pass the free time she had at the moment.

An hour later she reluctantly put the book down and stretched, trying to motivate herself to start on this pig pen. In addition to the clutter, she desperately needed to wash some clothes. She had been alternating two dresses for days, and Gil's underwear was starting to smell. He didn't seem too concerned, but she found it disgusting and wondered how he could go into work, a partner in the largest construction company in St. Louis, and not think about personal hygiene. This must be another difference between men and women that she was going to have to get used to.

Laura decided to gather up the most offensive pieces of clothing and look for a washboard. Surely even Roy did some wash now and then. She went into their room picked up several of Gil's items off the floor, starting a pile on the bed. She then opened the dresser, where her clothes—even the dirty ones—were neatly stored. She picked through them and tossed several undergarments onto the bed with Gil's. As she turned around she almost stumbled over Gil's sizable travel bag, which still sat where he had tossed it four days ago and had clothes spilling out the top. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the handles with both hands, heaving it onto the bed. No doubt there were items in here that needed a good scrubbing.

She reached into the bag with both arms, scooping up a mound of assorted garments and squeezing tightly to keep them from falling back in. She shrieked as a sharp pain pierced her left hand. Dropping the load she saw a small hole on her palm, as though someone had pricked her with a needle. She began rummaging through the pile to see what had caused this injury and almost lost her breath when she found it. Lying among the dirty laundry—Gil's dirty laundry, from Gil's travel bag—was her mother's cameo.

Laura slowly backed away in disbelief. There had to be an explanation other than the obvious. He wouldn't do that, he _couldn't_. She searched her mind for alternate scenarios that explained how this got into Gil's bag, scenarios that didn't involve him being a thief and her mother being right about him. She couldn't think of any.

She knew only one thing to do. Laura quickly threw on a dirty dress and walked down to the nearest streetcar stop. She wasn't sure where she needed to go, but she was going to find out. As she stepped up into the streetcar she asked the operator if he knew where the Wiley Construction Company was located. "Sure, it's just east of the railway station—about twenty minutes from here," he offered helpfully. She fished in her bag and handed him a coin, one of the few pieces of her own money she had brought on this trip. "I'd like to go there" she said resolutely. The nice man nodded and said he would tell her when to get off.

The offices of the Wiley Construction Company were located in a large building on the corner of 10th and Olive Streets. "This is your stop, Miss," said the conductor as the streetcar began to slow. "It's that gray building up ahead. There should be a receptionist inside who can direct you to the right office."

"Thank you very much," Laura said gratefully. She stepped down onto Olive Street and gathered her wits about her. She had cooled off a bit during the ride, almost convincing herself that Gil would have a perfectly reasonable explanation for what she had found in his bag. She didn't want to go in guns blazing if there was no call for it. She crossed the street and entered into the front of the building. As the man had told her, a receptionist sat behind a desk in the lobby.

"I'm looking for the main office of Wiley Construction," Laura said politely.

"Go up to the second floor, and it's about halfway down the hallway on the right," the woman informed her. "The name is on the door." Laura thanked her and headed up the staircase. Her heart started beating faster as she approached the second floor, and it wasn't from the exercise. Turning down the hallway, she found a door on the right labeled Wiley Construction Company. She took a deep breath and entered the office.

"Hello, my name is Laura Russell and I need to speak to Gil Cloyd. It's rather urgent."

The man behind the desk looked perplexed. "Who?"

"Gil Cloyd, he's a partner here." Perhaps the man was new or hadn't met Gil yet.

"I'm sorry Miss, but the owner of this company is Frank Wiley, and the only partners are his two nephews, Wilbur and Walter Cranston."

Laura frowned. "Are you sure? I'm sorry, of course you would know. Maybe I have the title wrong—could it be manager? Head of…something? I know he has an important job here, he started four days ago."

"Well, we do have managers for all the different departments, but no one new has started in this office for at least a month," he told her. "Could he be one of the day laborers on one of our projects?"

"Oh no, he's…well, I'm not sure now." Laura's mind was racing. What was happening? She knew what he told her, and she couldn't have mixed up the information this badly. "What about Roy Hanson? Does he work here?"

"Not in this office," the man replied. "Again, he could be one of the day laborers. They work at all the different construction sites, I don't know them personally."

Laura let the information soak in for a few seconds. "Thank you," she said cordially before turning to walk out of the office, not knowing what else to do. As she headed for the stairs, tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't know exactly what he was doing in St. Louis, but he wasn't a partner at Wiley Construction. And worse, he was a thief. There was no doubt now that he had stolen that jewelry, and their whole relationship was based on lies. She was sobbing by the time she made it back to the streetcar stop.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Revelations

Chapter 12

Matt rolled off of Kitty and fell onto the ground next to her, panting heavily. They may not be in the same shape they used to be, but they'd certainly had no trouble keeping up a strenuous pace until they were both satisfied. "Oh, how I've missed this," he declared, still out of breath. He hadn't been exactly celibate since Kitty left, but it had been quite a while since he had been reminded that _nobody_ compared to Kitty Russell in bed.

"Me too," she admitted, picking pieces of hay out of her hair. Suddenly she slapped her hand over her eyes. "Oh God Matt, what did we just do?" It had happened so unexpectedly, so uncontrollably, and rational thought had not been part of the process. As good as it felt, she couldn't help but wonder if this had been a colossal mistake.

"I don't know about you, but I just got the most exercise I've had in years," he joked.

"You know what I mean," she chided, playfully smacking his hand. He grabbed it before she could take it away and locked his fingers between hers. He squeezed for a few seconds before getting up the courage to speak. "Alright, here it goes. We still have that connection Kitty, you feel it too don't you? I knew it when we were having dinner and talking as if we had never been apart. So what did we just do? We made love, like we've done a thousand times before. A lot of things have changed, but we could never resist each other. I knew as soon as I saw you again that I wanted this to happen. I don't know where we go from here, but at the risk of totally humiliating myself, I'm still holding out hope that we might go there together. I never stopped loving you, Kitty. I never will."

Kitty closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. How many times had she played this fantasy in her head? Here it was becoming reality, and she didn't know what to say.

Matt didn't know what to make of her silence. "If I'm way off base here, please tell me now," he implored. "If you don't feel the same way, and this wasn't what I thought it was—"

"No, it's not that," she interjected. "I feel it too, Matt. I wanted it just as much as you did, no matter how much I tried to deny it. I had to move on when I left here but I never stopped loving you either, and believe me I tried. And now…we've lost a lot of years and you're right, a lot has changed. We live different lives, in different cities. I have a daughter, Matt, and I have to believe she's coming home. It's not just us anymore, and I'm not sure how we would handle it all. And honestly, if we tried and it didn't work…well, I don't think I could stand losing you again. I really don't."

Matt knew she had a point. This was happening very fast, and it wasn't something to take lightly. Love hadn't been enough to hold them together sixteen years ago, and there were no guarantees that it would be now. They may not have his job to come between them anymore, but there were brand new obstacles in their path. Any attempt at reconciliation would be a huge risk. It was a risk Matt was willing to take, but he didn't want to push. Not now, when she was fragile and needed his help finding her daughter. That had to come first, before they could think about anything else.

"Come here," he said tenderly, shifting positions to create that space where her head fit perfectly in the crook of his arm. She nestled into the familiar spot and hugged his chest. The warmth of his body felt good in the coolness of the well-shaded barn. He kissed her on the forehead and rubbed her arm with his free hand. "We don't have to make any decisions right now, Kitty. We just have to concentrate on finding Laura, and that's what we're going to do. With any luck I'll have some news from Tim when we get back to town."

Kitty tightened her grip around his chest. "Thank you," she whispered. They would obviously need to clean off and get dressed before heading back to Dodge, but neither of them made a move. This moment was too special not to enjoy for just a few more minutes.

GSGSGSGSGSGS

Matt and Kitty scanned Front Street as they headed to the livery, hoping to avoid friendly faces. This situation was intricate enough without having to deal with curious looks and probing questions, and they had serious business to attend to. Luckily, they managed to return the buggy and make it to the telegraph office without interruption.

"Good afternoon Marshal, Ma'am" the clerk greeted them. "I was just wondering if you would be back today, you received a reply to the wire you sent this morning." Kitty clutched Matt's arm excitedly. Matt pulled out his glasses as he was handed the piece of paper. "Thanks Steve," he nodded.

"Well, what does it say?" she asked impatiently as he read to himself. "Did he find Roy?"

A smile slowly spread over Matt's face. "He did better than that. He found Gil too."

Kitty's eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"

"I think so. He says Frank Wiley, who owns Wiley Construction, is a friend of his and let him look at the payroll ledger. There were two new contractor entries dated three days ago—Gil Cloyd of Cloyd Hardware and Roy Hanson of Hanson Lumber. Wiley doesn't usually handle the ledgers himself and noted it was odd that the same address is listed for both. It has to be them."

"But I'm sure he told Laura that they were buying into the construction business as partners, not lumber and hardware contractors," Kitty recounted, confused.

"Looks like he lied about that for some reason," Matt surmised. "The details don't matter, what's important is that we have his address. Go pack your bags, Kitty—we're going to St. Louis."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Revelations

Chapter 13

Laura sat straight up in the kitchen chair, her arms folded indignantly. She glanced at the clock on the wall every couple of minutes, silently calculating how many minutes until Gil should be coming back from wherever the hell he had been spending his days.

She had cried on the streetcar all the way back to this Godforsaken place, wondering how she could have been so gullible. By the time she climbed over that broken step and shoved the key into the front door, her despair had turned to anger. It took her less than five minutes to gather her belongings and throw them back into her travel bag. She was tempted to leave right then and there and let Gil wonder where his "Baby" had disappeared to, but she decided that she needed to confront him for her own satisfaction. She wanted to see the look on his face when she called him a liar and a thief and told him that her mother had been right about him. Kitty Russell's daughter wasn't about to get played for a fool by any man without a fight. So she had spent the rest of the day at the library, returning her unfinished book and perusing others to create a diversion for herself until time for the showdown.

Laura's heart skipped a beat as she heard footsteps on the porch. It sounded like more than one set, so Roy must be with him. That was okay, Roy was obviously in on this farce and she didn't care if he heard what she had to say. She hadn't liked him from their first meeting but hadn't said anything because she didn't want to hurt Gil's feelings or appear ungrateful. Now she could tell Roy exactly how she felt about him too.

The door opened and Gil smiled when he saw his fiancée. "How was your day, Baby?" he asked as he headed over to kiss her. Laura stood up and stared straight into his beautiful blue eyes without expression. "Do you like my outfit?" she asked with a sweet sarcasm that told him something was wrong. It was the same dress he had been seeing her in for a week, and he was just about to say so when it hit him like a freight train. Adorning her collar was the cameo he had taken from her mother.

Gil swallowed hard. "What about it?" he replied weakly, trying unsuccessfully to appear clueless about her question. Roy stood motionless a few feet behind him, watching the exchange with interest.

Laura fidgeted with the cameo, rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger. "Beautiful, isn't it? My mother was given one just like it by a special friend a long time ago, but it was recently stolen."

"I don't know what you're thinking, Baby, but—"

"Oh, I'd be happy to tell you," she interrupted, practically spitting the words at him. "I'm _thinking_ that you took my mother's jewelry just like she said and sold everything except this cameo. I'm _thinking_ that you lied to me about being a partner in this construction company, and pretty much everything else you told me. I'm _thinking_ that this has been the biggest mistake of my life and I'm going to get myself back to New Orleans if I have to hitch a ride in a covered wagon."

"You've got it all wrong," he insisted. "I've been going to work every day, and I'll be getting a paycheck next week. You'll see."

"Really Gil? Where exactly have you been going? Because I paid a little visit to the Wiley Construction office today, and they've never heard of you or Roy. They asked me if you were day laborers, but I'm guessing that's too much work for you."

"You did _what_?" Roy screamed, startling them both. "Damn it Gil, I told you she was going to cause trouble. What the hell are we going to do now? Let her run home to Mommy and tell her all about us? I'm not letting this little hussy ruin a sure thing."

"Laura, _please_," Gil begged. "Don't go, let me explain. I promise you this is all going to work out."

Laura sat back down in the chair and folded her arms. "Fine. I'm all ears, Gil. Explain to me how this cameo got into your travel bag, and how you and Roy are partners in a company that doesn't have a clue who you are."

Gil ran his hands through his hair and looked at Roy. He was busted, there was no hope of salvaging that lie. His choices were to think of a better story fast or tell her the truth, and a better story wasn't coming to him. Maybe he could cushion the truth in a cloud of ambiguity.

"Okay, so we're not exactly partners in the construction company, but we'll be getting paychecks from them. It's just a little business arrangement we were able to work out. Nothing you need to worry about."

"You mean nothing you want me knowing about," she countered. "Tell me, what are you getting paid for?"

"You wouldn't understand," he answered loudly, clearly becoming agitated. "Look, I'm telling you it's going to be fine, can't you just trust me on this?"

"Trust you?" she laughed bitterly. Laura pointed to the cameo on her collar. "What about this, Gil? Is this something else I just wouldn't understand?"

Gil knew even he couldn't bluff his way through that one. He had been caught red-handed and needed to tell her something she wanted to hear. "It was for us, Baby," he reasoned. "I know it wasn't right. I was just so in love with you, and I needed some extra money to bring you up here with me. I'll make it up to her. As soon as I get paid I'll buy her all new jewelry, okay?"

Laura abruptly stood up and grabbed the handles of her travel bag. "No, it's not okay Gil. I had the tiniest sliver of hope that I was wrong about this, that there was going to be some other explanation. But you lied to me, and that's something I can't forgive. Goodbye Gil."

She started for the door but Roy stepped directly in front of it, holding his arms all the way across to block any attempt at an exit.

"Please move," she ordered, in a way that indicated the 'please' was not very sincere.

"You're not leaving," Roy informed her calmly.

"Like hell I'm not," she disagreed, giving him a swift but effective knee to the groin. Roy crumpled to the floor, clutching the family jewels and writhing in pain. She opened the door and proceeded to leave. "Stop her!" Roy yelled to Gil, who was standing in the middle of the kitchen like a statue.

Gil followed orders and sprinted onto the front porch. Laura had already made it to the sidewalk and was rapidly heading toward town. "Laura, wait!" he shouted loudly enough that he was certain she heard him, but she only sped up her pace. What could he do? She wasn't going to stop and he couldn't force her to come back. He ran back inside and found Roy leaning against the wall, his face still in a grimace from the unexpected attack. "Where is she?" Roy demanded.

Gil shook his head. "She's heading toward town. She's made up her mind, there's no use trying."

Roy pounded his fist on the wall. "I didn't send you out there to reason with her, you idiot! Do you want to join your old man in prison? I don't. If you won't stop her, I will." He disappeared into his bedroom, walking quickly but gingerly, and reappeared a few seconds later wearing a jacket. "What are you going to do?" Gil asked nervously. Roy rushed out the front door without responding.

Laura's bag was heavy and cumbersome, but her adrenaline allowed her to keep up the fast pace of her journey toward the streetcar. She had just enough money left in her purse to get to the train station, and she would figure out what to do once she got there. Maybe a kind stranger would lend her enough for a ticket, or she could call her mother and have the money wired to her. She would spend the night in the station if she had to, as long as she was away from Gil and Roy.

Her mind preoccupied, Laura wasn't even aware that she suddenly had company. She jumped as Roy casually slipped his arm through hers and shoved the barrel of his gun in her side. He pulled her along and smiled politely as they passed a pedestrian. As soon as they were out of earshot, he spoke in a hushed tone. "We're going back to the house now. Be a good girl and you won't get hurt."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Revelations

Chapter 14

Kitty threw her clothes into her suitcase and checked out of The Dodge House at record speed. The overnight to St. Louis left at 6:50pm and took almost eleven hours with stops. She looked at the clock as she left the hotel and determined that there was time to say a proper goodbye.

Trusting her suitcase with the desk clerk for the time being, she headed down the sidewalk to the office of the U.S. Marshal. She turned the doorknob and entered without knocking, an old habit. Newly was leaning back in his chair, hands comfortably resting behind his head, while Festus sat next to him with his feet propped up on the desk. Both men immediately stood up in a show of courtesy as their lady friend entered.

"Afternoon, Miss Kitty," Festus said jovially. "We didn't rightly know if you and Matthew was comin' back today or not." Newly shot him a look of cease and desist, figuring that she was the only one allowed to bring up that subject.

Kitty ignored the implication. "I'm afraid I can only stay long enough to tell you fellas goodbye," she said regretfully. "I'm leaving on the overnight for St. Louis."

"But you just got here!" Festus protested. "What's the hurry to skedaddle outta town so blame fast?"

"I have business in St. Louis, and it came up rather suddenly," she explained vaguely. "I'm sorry our visit was cut short. I just wanted you to know how much I've enjoyed seeing you both, and I hope there will be a next time." She truly meant that, though she was not at all sure it would happen.

"It's been a pleasure seeing you too, Miss Kitty," Newly offered, approaching her for a final hug. She gave him a tight squeeze and pat on the back. "Matt is really proud of you, Newly, and so am I." The Dodge City marshal smiled. "I appreciate that, Ma'am. You know he's the only reason I'm standing here."

Festus was not quite as ready to accept this sudden turn of events. "What kind o' business is it, if'n you don't mind me askin'?"

Kitty sighed. "It's personal, Festus. It's very important to me, I wouldn't be leaving so soon if it wasn't. I'm afraid that's all I can say."

"Does Matthew know you're leavin' already?" he wondered.

Kitty hesitated before she answered. "Yes, Festus, he does." She bit her tongue and stopped there, deciding not to reveal that Matt was packing a bag at this very moment and meeting her at the train station. There was no way to say that without making it sound like something it wasn't. Festus looked almost defeated. He was so sure he had seen those familiar sparks between his two friends and that something big was about to happen. "Well, I'm sure gonna miss ya," he mumbled sadly. "I'm gonna miss you too, Festus," she returned and gave him a warm kiss on the cheek. She turned and left the office, promising to keep in touch.

Kitty made it to the train station first and decided to buy both of their tickets while he was not there to object. He was doing her a favor and she could well afford it. She spent the extra money to get them a private room in the sleeper car, figuring they had a lot to talk about that was nobody else's business.

She put the tickets in her purse and stood with her luggage at the entrance to the platforms. This would be their second trip to St. Louis together, out of four attempts. Twice they had planned vacations that never materialized, thanks to last minute emergencies courtesy of a job that never took a holiday. Oh, the fights they'd had after those canceled trips. But the one they did make was an experience she would never forget. Kitty smiled at the wonderful memory.

"Kitty!" came that baritone voice, jolting her out of her daydream. Matt was carrying a small bag—years of trail riding had taught him to pack light—and for a brief moment she forgot her troubles. All she saw was the man she had shared that magical weekend with in St. Louis all those years ago, the man she had visions of spending all her weekends with before everything changed.

"You made good time," she noted, aware of the distance he had traveled two ways on horseback to get there. Matt thought nothing of it—he would travel the whole way to St. Louis on a horse if it would help Kitty. She opened her purse and handed him a ticket. "We're all set."

"Thanks," he said, assuming she had purchased both tickets to save time. He looked at the price on the ticket and pulled out his wallet.

"Oh no you don't," she informed him. "This is on me."

"Kitty, you don't have to—"

"No, but I'm going to," she said emphatically. "Matt, you're only here because of me, and this is no vacation. Don't argue with me."

Matt raised his eyebrows and slowly put his wallet back. "It's been a while, but I still know better than to do that," he joked. Kitty chuckled as he slung his small bag over his shoulder and picked up her large one. "Let's go."

The train had just begun to board when they got to the platform. A porter helped Matt get the large suitcase up the steps and directed them to the sleeping car after checking their tickets.

"Our own room in the sleeping car," he observed, sounding quite impressed.

"It's for privacy. Don't be getting any big ideas," she warned him good-naturedly.

"You seemed to enjoy my last one," he quipped, and Kitty looked slightly embarrassed. They had avoided talking about what had happened between them, concentrating on Laura instead. "I'm sorry Honey, I didn't mean to make light of that," he apologized quickly. Kitty shook her head. "I didn't think you were," she said sincerely. It had been so very long since anyone had called her Honey.

They deposited the luggage in their room and Matt checked his watch. "It feels like dinner time to me, why don't we find the dining car?" he suggested. "It will be my treat—no arguments."

"No arguments," Kitty agreed with a slight smile. They walked through two more cars until they reached one that looked like a fine restaurant, with white linen tablecloths and red napkins. The room was mostly empty and they chose a table in the back. "Trains have changed a bit since we last traveled together, haven't they?" she observed.

"They sure have," he concurred. "We didn't even have dining cars back then, at least not here. Remember that awful restaurant at the Kansas City stop we had to eat at the last time we went to St. Louis?"

"How could I forget?" she replied, shuddering at the thought. "That had to be the worst food I have ever tasted. Made me appreciate Delmonico's."

Matt nodded in remembrance. "Though the rest of the trip made up for it, as I recall." He hadn't forgotten a single detail of that weekend.

Kitty almost blushed. "It was pretty amazing," she said softly.

"_You_ were pretty amazing," he added. "You still are, Kitty." He put his hands on the table, palms up, inviting hers to fill them. She couldn't resist the invitation, still relishing what his touch had done for her hours earlier. They silently held hands until the waiter appeared with their menus.

GSGSGSGSGSGS

The sleeping room was equipped with two facing seats which folded down to make a full bed, with an additional single upper berth that dropped down from the ceiling. They had kept their dinner conversation light, but Kitty was anxious to talk about Laura now that they were alone. Everything had happened so fast, they had hardly had time to discuss the reason for this trip.

Kitty asked Matt if she could look at the wire from Tim Farrell again. She had read it at the telegraph office, but she wanted to make sure she understood exactly what it said. Matt pulled it out of his shirt pocket and handed it to her. She had her glasses this time.

"Do you have any idea where this is?" she asked him, staring at the address that was listed for both Cloyd Hardware and Hanson Lumber.

"No, but it shouldn't be hard to find out. They'll have maps at the station and St. Louis has a good streetcar system. Don't worry Kitty, we'll get there."

"Don't worry," was a tall order. She had no idea what Gil Cloyd was capable of, and Laura was such an innocent girl. She could hardly stand to think about it.

"Can we have him arrested for this, Matt?" she wondered aloud.

"For what? Kidnapping? I doubt it, not if she went willingly and is of age. But I'll tell you, Kitty, something sounds very fishy with this Roy Hanson and these businesses, based on what you told me and what Tim found out. I'm willing to bet he's doing something illegal, and he can sure be arrested for that."

Kitty nodded. She wished she could magically move the clock forward and be in St. Louis already. Nothing was more excruciating than not knowing the whereabouts or condition of your child. She folded the paper into quarters and handed it back to him.

"Matt, I'd like to tell you some more about Laura," she declared.

"I'd like to hear more about her," he affirmed.

Kitty smiled. "She's a good girl, Matt. This is so unlike her, to do something so rash and reckless. I swear, he must have cast some kind of spell over her."

"She's young and impressionable, and he's quite the smooth talker from what you said. Even good kids make bad mistakes, Kitty. You don't have to worry, nobody is going to think any less of her because of this."

He had not lost his innate ability to say exactly the right thing to make her feel better. "Did I tell you she might study medicine?" she said proudly. "She's very good at science and loves working with people, and I've told her all about Doc."

"I wish he was here to see that," Matt said wistfully.

"So do I," she echoed. "I try to keep him alive through the stories I tell her."

Matt nodded. "What else does she like?"

"She loves to read, literature and history mainly. And she loves to shop and have fun with her friends. She's very outgoing."

"Just like her mother," he noted. "I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Kitty wanted him to meet her too, desperately so. "There's something else," she ventured, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"What's that?" he asked.

Kitty hesitated. "She's—we've just got to find her, that's all."

"We will, Kitty. I truly believe that."

She wanted to believe it too. Kitty rubbed her eyes. She was physically and mentally exhausted and needed to lie down. "I know it's still early, but would you mind if we went on to bed now?"

"No, I'm pretty tired myself," he admitted. "Do you want me to pull out the upper berth?"

She still didn't know where they were headed, but at that moment she couldn't stand the thought of knowing he was in the same room and not holding her as she slept. She subtly shook her head. "I'd like you to sleep next to me, if that's okay."

"That's okay," he said softly. They changed into their pajamas in front of each other, the afternoon's activities making a show of modesty seem silly. Matt reclined the adjacent seats and made up the bed with blankets and pillows from the storage cabinet. He climbed in first and she followed, claiming their familiar spots with her to his left and him to her right. He scooted forward so her back was against his stomach and put his arm over her side. She slid her bottom leg in between his two and put the other on top, then clasped his hand and moved it around her stomach. They were twisted like pretzels, a position they had always found inexplicably comfortable and hadn't been able to enjoy in sixteen years. Despite a daunting task ahead in just a few hours, they drifted off to sleep together.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Revelations

Chapter 15

Gil Cloyd anxiously paced the floor, wondering how his perfect plan had spiraled so horribly out of control. Yesterday he had a beautiful young woman in love with him, an easy paycheck on the horizon, and free time to spend in any gambling hall or saloon he desired. Today, his woman hated him and he would likely lose everything else unless he became an unwilling accomplice in a plot to get rid of her. He may be a thief and a shyster but he was not a murderer. The whole idea made him sick to his stomach, and he had become fearful of Roy. Maybe his father had been right about him.

Roy had wanted to kill her as soon as he brought her back to the house, but Gil had talked him out of it. "We need a plan," he said convincingly, reminding Roy that Laura's mother knew him and was likely looking for them. If Laura was found, dead or alive, Kitty Russell would have the law after both of them. If they could somehow make her disappear for good, they could claim she had changed her mind and left, and there would be no evidence that a crime had even been committed. Roy reluctantly agreed.

Gil cringed as Roy tied Laura to the chair and put the gag in her mouth. He had tried to shush her so that wouldn't be necessary, but she was her mother's daughter and wouldn't shut up. She had to be afraid, but that didn't stop her from spitting insults and threats at them as Roy secured the ropes around her hands and feet. The girl definitely had guts, one of the things that had attracted Gil to her in the first place.

Gil and Roy sought their courage from a bottle, drinking the night away while Roy schemed and Gil secretly wondered if he had any chance of stopping this. Roy sure had a lot of ideas on how to permanently dispose of a body for someone who supposedly hadn't thought of it before. Gil tried not to look at Laura, who could hear every grisly detail and was trying her best not to give them the satisfaction of any reaction. He wanted to let her know that he wanted no part of this, that he would try to keep her from getting hurt, but there wasn't an opportunity. There was no telling what Roy would do to him if he knew.

By early morning, the combination of alcohol and the lateness of the hour claimed the consciousness of both men. Laura desperately worked her wrists and ankles for two hours in an attempt to loosen the ties that bound her. She got nowhere with her wrists but slowly began to feel her feet inching apart. She wasn't sure how free feet would help her, but it was all she had to work with and she wasn't about to go down without a fight. The chair creaked whenever she made progress, and each time she would glance at Roy's shadowy figure passed out at the kitchen table, wondering how much time she had. Gil had crawled into the bedroom where she could hear his familiar buzz, assuring her that he was oblivious to her actions.

Another twenty minutes and a final yank, and her right foot was out of the rope. The left easily followed and she shook them out, feeling pins and needles in her legs as full circulation began to return. What now? She might be able to make it over to the door, but she would never be able to turn the knob much less make any kind of getaway. She couldn't do anything as long as she was attached to this stupid chair.

It was still dark out, with only a single dim light still burning in the house, and she couldn't see the hands on the clock well enough to determine how long she had before sunup. She could have been sitting there for eight hours or twelve, she wasn't sure. She squinted and focused until she could see a little more detail in the kitchen. Roy's hand was around the last bottle he had opened, a glass sitting next to him. On the stove was a cutting board with a half loaf of bread the two men had eaten while discussing her demise. _Cutting board_.

Laura slowly stood up and leaned over to lift the chair off the ground. Her heart stopped as one of the legs brushed the floor and made a squeaking noise. She jerked her attention to Roy, who did not seem to flinch. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she took baby steps to the stove and leaned down to see what was on the cutting board. Next to the half eaten loaf of bread was a small knife.

She turned herself around, struggling to lift her hands high enough to reach the cutting board without crashing the chair into the stove. On the fourth attempt, her hands found the knife and gripped it with every ounce of strength. She eased back down in the chair and began working on the rope with the small blade.

She switched hands often, as the repetitive motion with limited mobility kept causing her to cramp. She could feel fibers breaking as she sawed back and forth, but the rope was thick and she couldn't gauge how close she was getting. She had no choice but to continue the task blindly.

Laura worked feverishly as she saw the sun begin to rise. Suddenly she felt a snap and her wrists separated. She was free! She released her hands from around the chair and pulled the gag from her mouth, struggling not to cough. Heart pounding, she stood up and crept to the front door. The doorknob clicked loudly as she turned it, and Roy's head popped up from the table. Laura flung the door open and ran outside, while Roy sprung into action. She stumbled over the broken porch step and fell hard, catching herself with her arms and banging her knee on the concrete. She screamed in pain but immediately pushed herself back up to continue her escape. But the fall had cost her too much time, and she felt Roy's large arms around her stomach before she got any further. She screamed for dear life, hoping someone—anyone—would hear her as he carried her back inside the house.

Gil had heard the commotion and was standing in the kitchen when Roy dragged Laura inside. "That's it, I'm killing her now," he growled as he struggled to control the kicking and screaming girl. "Go get my gun."

Gil stood motionless and Roy repeated his command. "I said get my gun!"

Gil shook his head. "This isn't right, Roy," he said seriously. "I can't be a part of this. I'm not a killer."

"You're a goddamn coward," he said hatefully, as he dragged Laura into the bedroom where he had left his gun on the dresser. Gil raced into the room but Roy beat him to it. "I guess I'll have to shoot you both," he announced without a trace of remorse. Laura continued screaming and trying to free herself from his grip, now with one arm as he held the gun in the other. He cocked the hammer and pointed the barrel toward Laura's head. "You've caused me an awful lot of trouble, Gil," he told his former friend. "I suppose I'll make you watch me kill her first as a little punishment for that."

At that moment, the front door burst open and a loud voice called out. "Laura Russell! Are you in here?" Roy panicked and ran into the front room, firing a shot at the stranger standing in his house. The bullet grazed Matt's shoulder, and before Roy could determine that he missed his mark there was a bullet headed in his direction. He crumpled to the ground with a fatal wound to the chest.

Gil and Laura emerged shakily from the bedroom after the shots stopped. Kitty came running inside, a look of terror on her face. Matt had Gil at gunpoint with his hands in the air, and Laura was standing in the corner trembling. Kitty felt her knees turn to jelly and almost collapsed from relief. They were both safe.

With Gil clearly not a threat, Matt got his first good look at Laura Russell. She had long red hair and sapphire blue eyes and the most beautiful porcelain skin with freckles. If he didn't know better he might think he was looking at Kitty Russell the day he had met her. She ran over and threw her arms around her mother, both of them sobbing. "I'm sorry Mama, I'm so sorry," Laura wailed through the tears. She even sounded like Kitty. Seeing them together, he noticed the one physical attribute Laura did not share with her mother. She was tall—very tall.

Kitty finally managed to compose herself and wiped away her tears. She looked into Matt's eyes, and she could tell that he knew. She had wanted to tell him for so many years, and she had tried to tell him on the train. She couldn't find the words, but he had seen it for himself. He had a daughter.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** I'd like to thank everyone who has stuck with this story over the past week. I haven't had time to respond to every review and guest reviews I am unable to do so, but be assured I have read them all and much appreciate the many kind comments and messages I've gotten. This was a labor of love that I worked on over my holiday vacation, and it's very satisfying as a writer to know that people find your efforts meaningful and entertaining. Thanks for allowing me to share my little obsession with other Gunsmoke fans.

Revelations

Chapter 16

Laura gratefully shook the hand of her rescuer when they were formally introduced, after Gil was in handcuffs at the police station and she had finally calmed enough to have a conversation. "So you are the famous Matt Dillon," she smiled, clearly recognizing the name if not the face. "My mother has always spoken very highly of you. I cannot thank you enough for what you did for me."

Matt still could not get over how much Laura was like Kitty, not only in appearance but in mannerisms. It was obvious from her tone that she knew of him as a friend of her mother's and nothing more.

"I'm just glad I was able to help," he offered, politely and sincerely. "Your mother and I—well, we go way back." He shot Kitty a glance, and she pleaded silently for discretion. This wasn't the time for revelations.

"Oh, I know," Laura replied eagerly. "I grew up on stories about Doc and Festus and Marshal Dillon, the fastest gun in the west. Mama says there was never a better lawman, or a better man. She made Dodge City sound so exciting, I used to wish we lived there."

Matt tenderly looked first at her, then at Kitty. "I would have liked that. Very much so."

They were kept at the police station for hours as Laura recounted what she knew about the illegal activities of Gil Cloyd and Roy Hanson. Gil had confessed to most of it and Laura reluctantly backed up his claims that he had tried to get the gun and stop Roy from hurting her before Matt had rushed in just in time. Gil had tried to apologize to both Russell women, but Laura could not look at him and Kitty had to be physically restrained. It would be a long time before either of them could consider that he had done anything admirable. Gil was now safely in jail waiting for an attorney, while the police had notified Frank Wiley of the scam being perpetrated at his business.

Matt had to give a statement about Roy's shooting, with Kitty, Laura, and Gil all corroborating his story. Kitty told Laura how Matt had tracked Gil down and gotten them to St. Louis so quickly. They had heard her screams from the streetcar stop and run as fast as ageing and injured legs could take them. Had they not, they would have been too late.

The Berlin Hotel was a block from the police station, and after they were finished with official business Matt suggested that they get rooms there. Laura was going to need time to rest and recover before a long train ride. The desk clerk handed them two room keys as requested and directed them to the elevator. Matt took his and Kitty's bags, and Kitty carried Laura's.

Their rooms were across the hall from each other, one for Matt and the other for Kitty and Laura. Matt fell into his bed and closed his eyes. He had been up since 4am and was dead tired, but sleep did not come easy. He had a thousand questions for Kitty and there had been no time for personal discussions. He was finally able to doze lightly for a couple of hours, until he heard a knock on the door.

"Matt, are you awake?" came Kitty's soft voice.

"Yes," he replied, rubbing his eyes and trying to look so. "The door's open."

She let herself in and sat next to him on the edge of the bed. They looked at each other in awkward silence before he finally spoke. "Why didn't you tell me the truth, Kitty? You had to know I would figure it out as soon as I saw her."

"Because I needed help from Matt Dillon the lawman, not Matt Dillon the father. You're the best there is, but you're also human, and knowing this was your daughter might have clouded your judgment. I couldn't take a chance that you might act out of emotion when her life was at stake."

She wouldn't say it, but he knew where that fear had originated. He had acted out of emotion once before, when Jude Bonner had done unspeakable things to her because of him. When he saw the abused, broken body of his lover lying on that table, he had taken off his badge and gone after Bonner with nothing but rage and revenge in his heart. He might be in prison or worse had he not somehow managed to come to his senses before he bashed the man's skull in. It was probably best that he hadn't known Laura's true identity, at least when he was asked to help find her. But what about the fifteen years before that?

Kitty could see the pain in his face, and the guilt was overwhelming her. She knew he deserved a full explanation.

"I wanted to tell you about her in the beginning Matt, you don't know how hard it was for me to keep this from you," she began. "Maybe I was wrong, I don't know, but I didn't do it to hurt you. I thought it was best for everyone—for you, for me, and for Laura. I honestly did. You have every right to hate me for this, but it's the truth. Please tell me you believe that."

"Hate you?" he said incredulously. "Kitty, I could never hate you. I'm just shocked, and I don't know what to think or how this happened. Can you understand how confusing this is for me?"

Kitty looked down. "Of course I can."

Matt's head was spinning, but he needed to know the whole truth. "When did you find out?"

"Shortly after I got to New Orleans. I knew I hadn't been feeling well, but I didn't suspect that, not at my age. When the morning sickness started and I was so late, I went to a doctor. I knew by then, but I still couldn't believe it when he confirmed that I was pregnant."

"Why didn't you tell me then? You know I would have done the right thing."

"I knew exactly that," Kitty agreed. "Except it wouldn't have been the right thing, and that's one reason I couldn't tell you. Matt, you admitted to me on the ride out to your house that deep down you weren't ready to be a husband, at least then you weren't. You were still married to that badge, and you didn't have any interest in marrying anyone else. You had also made it clear that you didn't want children. 'Lawmen have no business having families,' remember that? So what would our choices have been if I had told you I was having your baby? You could either leave the job that meant everything to you and end up resenting me and the baby for trapping you in a life you didn't choose, or you could keep the job and spend every waking minute worrying that Laura would be in danger because of it. I couldn't see anything good coming out of either of those options for any of us, so I did what I thought was best. I raised Laura on my own and never told anyone who her father was."

"Not even Doc?" he wondered.

"Not even Doc," she confirmed. "He knew I had a daughter, but I told him she was adopted, just like I told you. Not because I didn't trust him, but because I loved him. It would have been terribly unfair to him to be expected to keep a secret like that from you. I was afraid it would interfere with your friendship, and I knew you needed each other after I left.

Matt sighed. As much as he wished he had known, as much as he felt he had a _right_ to know, everything she said made sense. Every single word.

"What about Laura?" he asked. "Didn't she ever wonder about her father?"

"Yes, of course. But how could I tell her that you didn't even know about her? She couldn't possibly have understood why I kept that from you, at least not when she was a child. I could have made up some story about her father living far away, but I was afraid she would wonder why you didn't want to see her. I had a father who abandoned me, and I didn't want her to think you had done that to us. I wanted her to respect Matt Dillon, even if she didn't know you were her father, because you deserved her respect. I was in a no-win situation. So I was purposefully vague, I said her father was someone I knew long ago but couldn't be in our lives anymore through no fault of his own, and asked her to accept that. I have felt guilty about it for a long time, I feel like I failed her in that area. But I honestly didn't know how else to handle it."

"I've missed so much time with her," he said regretfully.

"I know," she sympathized. "And I'm sorry about that. I truly am."

She had clearly suffered for this, and it made his heart ache. He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "We can't get that time back, but we can make sure we don't lose any more. The three of us can still be a family, Kitty."

She furrowed her brow. "What are you saying, Matt?"

"I'm saying that I love you and can't imaging spending another day of my life without you in it. That I have a daughter I don't even know, but I already love her too because I see you in her. That I want to be the husband and father that you and Laura deserve. I guess what I'm really saying is—Kitty, will you marry me?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. "But what about the distance? I love Dodge, but Laura needs to finish high school in New Orleans. After what she's been through I can't uproot her from her friends and her life there."

"We'll make it work," he promised. "I'll move to New Orleans until she graduates, and I'll keep the farm in Dodge. We'll retire there once she goes to college—if that's what you want."

Kitty was overwhelmed. "Are you sure, Matt? I mean, you're not exactly the city type."

"People change, Kitty," he said. "I wasn't the marrying type either, until you left and I realized that's exactly what I wanted. I love the farm, but some time in New Orleans sounds like just what I need. I could use a little adventure in my life."

"I'd show you some adventure, Cowboy," she said playfully.

"I do have one request," he added. "I would like for us to get married in Dodge, in front of our friends who loved and supported us all those years. And I bet Hannah would throw us one hell of a wedding reception."

Kitty smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

"So is that a yes?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. He gently took her face in his hands and gave her a soft, supple kiss. It still had the same, thrilling effect on her that it did over thirty years ago. She brushed a stray curl off of his beautifully lined forehead and smiled. "I have to go," she announced suddenly.

"What do you mean you have to go?" he asked indignantly.

"There's a girl across the hall who has no idea that her parents are about to get married," she explained. "It's time she knew everything—I need to tell her the whole story so she understands how we got here."

Matt cocked an eyebrow. "The whole story? We're more like an epic, Kitty. How will you even start?"

Kitty thought for a few seconds. "Well, I suppose it's always best to start at the beginning," she figured. "One day, a long time ago, a lonely young girl from New Orleans stepped off a stage and into a rain puddle…"

The End


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